Mold is making major headlines these days: "Mold forces students out." "Mold forces Houston fire station to close." "Homeowners burn homes due to mold." Amid all the bad advice, unnecessary expense and overreaction, ISHN offers these practical reminders:

Industrial hygienist Kyle Dotson, CIH, says, "If you see visible mold you better address it, especially mold in an air-conditioned working space." Dotson advises taking these steps: 1) See if you have a water leak - you can't have mold without water; 2) Fix the leak; 3) Determine how much mold you have; 4) If you have more than ten square feet, call your environmental consultant for remediation recommendations; 5) Clean smaller areas of mold contamination with bleach and water, and provide cleanup workers with hazard communication training.

"Twenty years ago we didn't give mold the respect it deserves. Now on the ten o'clock news it perhaps is getting more respect than it deserves. The truth is probably somewhere in between," says Dotson.