Certified Industrial Hygienist Mold Testing Ohio: Why You Need a CIH Over Standard Mold Inspectors
When you are investigating toxic mold exposure in your home, you may be thinking about bringing a claim against your landlord. Here’s the thing: who you hire matters. Why?
Think about your favorite law TV show–take Law and Order, for example. Ever hear about the chain of custody? Well, the chain of custody can make or break your case, just like the Season 10 finale “Zebras,” where CSU technician Dale Stuckey makes a simple procedural error by assigning the same voucher number to evidence from both the crime scene and the suspect’s apartment. This documentation mistake completely voided the chain of custody procedures, making all the blood evidence inadmissible in court and forcing the judge to dismiss the murder charges against a guilty suspect. One paperwork error destroyed an otherwise solid case.
While a Mold Tester could follow the proper chain of custody, some do and some do not. Do you really want to put your health or claim at risk with bad testing results?
That is why Bressman Law requires you to provide testing results from a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) in order for us to properly review your case.
While you might think any mold inspector will do the job, here’s something that might surprise you: Ohio doesn’t have any sort of certification for a mold inspector.
This is not a knock on mold inspectors—some do a great job and provide the right chain of custody. But any chance that your claim may not be able to move forward is not a risk Bressman Law or you should take.
That’s a problem. And it’s exactly why understanding the difference between certified industrial hygienist mold testing Ohio professionals and regular mold inspectors isn’t just important—it’s critical for anyone considering legal action.
Mold Inspector vs Industrial Hygienist: Here’s the Real Problem
Some mold inspectors do a great job. However, here’s the bigger issue: mold inspectors aren’t thinking about the chain of custody of the mold for a tort case. They’re not thinking about a legal case, and that’s a massive problem if you’re planning to sue someone.
A certified industrial hygienist isn’t thinking about a legal case either. But if you hire them to come do the mold testing, there are certain requirements that a legal case has, and a certified industrial hygienist is trained to make sure that all of those steps are followed, whether it’s litigation or not.
What Makes a Certified Industrial Hygienist Different
Certified industrial hygienists do way more than just mold testing. They are trained to test for a multitude of environmental hazards. Mold is just one type.
For example, if you’ve got a case where there’s literally sewage collecting underneath someone’s apartment, you call a certified industrial hygienist and say, “I don’t know what you should test for. You tell me what we should test for based on your experience.” They can test for mold, Salmonella, and other bacteria because they know how to do that.
The key difference is that there’s a credentialing process for certified industrial hygienists. Because they’re credentialed, they have to follow all these rules and regulations. That helps when it comes to mold legal cases—not because they’re doing it for a legal case necessarily, but they’re trained in a way that if you’re using their testing for a legal case, you can use it and you don’t have to worry about it.
Chain of Custody Mold Testing: Why This Matters in Court
Here’s what really matters when we talk about mold inspector vs industrial hygienist reports: the chain of custody documentation.
Think about a criminal case—you hear about chain of custody in criminal cases all the time. If the chain of custody is wrong in a criminal case, the whole case may be thrown out. Same thing here with Ohio mold testing for lawsuit purposes.
When a certified industrial hygienist does testing, you get proper documentation showing:
- A wet signature of when they relinquished the sample and who they relinquished it to
- Whether it was accepted or not
- What was the volume, what were the comments
- Whether it was a direct swab or a spore trap
- The turnaround time
A certified industrial hygienist knows what to do because this is what the court will accept.
Compare that to what you typically get from a standard mold inspector. Often, you’ll see something called “sample receiving detail for chain of custody,” but when you look through it, signatures and other required documentation are missing.
When toxicologists review these mold inspector reports, they often say, “These aren’t proper chain of custody—these would never hold up in court,” because there are no signatures and critical documentation is missing.
The Real Cost of Getting This Wrong
It’s not that you can’t use testing from a mold inspector—it’s a 50/50 shot at best that you can use it in court. Why would you take that risk?
Professional certified industrial hygienist mold testing Ohio services typically cost around $2,500. Yes, that’s expensive. But here’s the thing: if you don’t get the right testing done and you spend months or years pursuing a case only to find out your evidence won’t be accepted, you’ve wasted far more than $2,500.
Some attorneys won’t even take a mold case unless the testing was done by a certified industrial hygienist. The threshold is that simple: if a certified industrial hygienist has not done your testing, the case doesn’t move forward. Help your mold attorney by getting the proper testing done for compelling documentation.
Why Courts Care About Professional Credentials
When you’re looking at mold inspector vs industrial hygienist credibility in court, consider that insurance companies and courts view certified industrial hygienist reports very differently than they view standard mold inspector reports.
So what does this mean for your case?
There are really two aspects of a mold case that matter: what matters to the judge and what matters to the jury.
The judge may think your mold situation is terrible, but they may not let the case proceed without the proper documentation. The certified industrial hygienist documentation is for the judge to get you past summary judgment.
The jury doesn’t care whether it’s a certified industrial hygienist or mold inspector once they see the mold. But you need to get enough information to get to that phase where the jury’s going to see it. If the court won’t accept the mold inspector’s work, you don’t get to the jury.
Ask Us About Your Ohio Mold Case
In Ohio’s legal system, choosing certified industrial hygienist mold testing Ohio professionals over standard mold inspectors can literally determine whether you have a case worth pursuing. The mold inspector vs industrial hygienist decision isn’t just about getting test results—it’s about getting test results that will actually be accepted by the court.
Don’t let inadequate testing derail your pursuit of justice. The investment in proper professional testing today could mean the difference between a successful case and a dismissed claim tomorrow. Have you been affected by toxic mold in Ohio? Contact Bressman Law today to discuss your case with our experienced legal professionals.