MY WORK AS A CONSULTANT TO FOH  

Twelve years ago, I received a call from a building owner in the Dallas area. He was having some problems with mold in his building and called a friend for a referral. I was the person who was referred. It turned out that the building having the problem was occupied by the Social Security Administration. As usual, I conducted my investigation, determined the source of the moisture causing the mold, and created a scope to clean it up. After we finished the work on the Dallas-area building, we dealt with a similar problem on an SSA building in Bryan, Texas. This was the same owner, and I was the consultant again.

At the time, I did not realize that many SSA offices are owned by a third party and leased to the U.S. government. I also did not understand that my reports, my scope, and all test results (done for the owner) were reviewed by Federal Occupational Health (FOH) on behalf of the lessee (the Government Services Administration).

Several weeks after completing the work on the second building, I received a call from FOH. They called to compliment my work and to ask if I would be willing to do similar investigations on a myriad of buildings across the Southern U.S. (as a contracting consultant). Though I was initially taken aback by the offer, I gladly accepted. Since then, I have worked at 30-plus SSA locations, 10 or more federal courthouses, border-crossing stations, FBI buildings, DEA, ICE, Customs and Border Protection offices, national wildlife refuges, and other government occupied buildings in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. I have done water intrusion surveys, IAQ investigations, mold consulting, and lots of building forensic surveys.

The work I do in federal buildings is always challenging, but at the same time, the projects are some of the most satisfying work I take on. When I enter a federal building for an inspection, I am always met with the warmest welcome. Most building occupants (commercial or federal) are usually happy I am there because my presence signals that someone is looking out for their health. And the people I meet during my work as a contractor for FOH never fail to show a truly genuine sense of gratitude.

I am happy I can be the person to answer the questions and concerns that these building occupants have — and that my work can help solve their problems. Knowing that the investigation work I do helps to better people’s lives has always been a source of pride for me. I am very glad I have had the opportunity to expand my experience through a variety of work, while at the same time lending a hand to all kinds of building occupants.