WebBoss Design | 03rd February 2023 | General Articles

Late last year, the UK learnt of the incredibly sad case of Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old boy who tragically died as a result of chronic exposure to black mould in his family’s flat in Rochdale. Awaab’s parents hired legal help to take action against Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), the housing association who owned their home, and get justice for their child.   Awwab’s parents first reported the mould in 2017, but in the three years following, before Awaab’s death they were simply told to paint over it until they instructed solicitors to help them. What’s more, a health visitor wrote to RBH expressing concern over the health problems posed by the mould. The senior coroner of the case also stated that the mould was due to “normal daily living activities.” In short, the family could not have done anything in their day-to-day lives to prevent the build up of mould, the home was simply not built with sufficient ventilation in the first place and the housing association did not take the actions that they should have to tackle it.   What Are The Dangers of Mould? Put simply, mould is caused by a build-up of moisture in a home. It is extremely common and can grow on anything from tiles to carpets. This build up of moisture, many times – and as clarified by the senior coroner in the Awaab Ishak case – cannot be helped, and is just a consequence of day-to-day living such as condensation due to the weather, drying clothes indoors or; but it can also be caused by things such as water leaks. There are various different strains of black mould, and certain ones can release toxins which are harmful to humans, or cause fungal infections. Especially with long-term exposure, these toxins can cause respiratory issues (such as asthma), which can be fatal – especially for young children.   Mould – Who’s To Blame? It can be difficult to determine whose responsibility it is to deal with mould and its causes.  Mould caused by damp, due to structura...