Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) affects the comfort and health of everyone. Effective management practices allow buildings to be free of IAQ problems, thus allowing the people in them to be safer, happier, and more productive. Poor air quality leads to Sick Building Syndrome complaints, lost worker productivity, and tenant health complaints such as allergic reactions, nausea, chronic fatigue, and respiratory problems. IAQ is also affected by temperature and RH (relative humidity) because thermal comfort concerns are the cause of many complaints about poor air. Good IAQ includes the following elements:
- Acceptable temperature and relative humidity
- Controlled airborne contaminants
- Adequate distribution of ventilation air
IAQ problems can develop because of improper maintenance, modifications to controls, and improper design of HVAC systems. Improper maintenance can cause missing, dirty, and/or collapsed filters. Habitats for microbial growth are often created by standing water in condensate pans and clogged condensate lines, by moisture blowby from fan coils into ducts, and by standing water at outside air intakes. Temperature and humidity also affect indoor contaminant levels.
Creating an effective IAQ management program
Owners and managers must be proactive in monitoring, operating, and maintaining IAQ to ensure a comfortable and healthy building environment. For buildings that do not appear to have IAQ issues, proper diagnosis followed by corrective measures—including implementing good IAQ management practices—is essential. An IAQ management program will succeed only if it is organized to fit an owner’s or manager’s specific building or facility. It is difficult to prescribe one single approach to developing a program. However, effective IAQ management includes a program to:
- Prevent problems by maintaining good IAQ
- Investigate problems when they exist
- Correct the situation when a problem does exist
Education and training programs for employees, tenants, and outside contractors should be provided to ensure that new procedures are understood and adopted. The relationships among owners, managers, staff members, and occupants play an important role in decisions that affect IAQ, especially because the objectives of each group may differ. Occupants want their building to be pleasant, safe, and attractive. If they are also tenants, they want to get the maximum use out of the space they rent for the lowest cost. Owners and managers want to maintain a reputation for providing quality space at a reasonable cost, but they also need to make a profit. Despite these differences, all of these people share the goal of providing a healthful indoor environment. Recognition of this common goal may help avoid conflict when discussing IAQ-related policies. IAQ management guidelines should emphasize the following:
- Prevention: All new construction, renovation, and redecorating should meet current standards. In addition, owner and manager awareness and an effective O&M (operations and maintenance) program for the HVAC system will increase the likelihood that buildings will not develop IAQ problems.
- Correction: All IAQ issues should be addressed as soon as possible to correct a problem building. These corrective actions will include investigation, repair or modification, O&M program implementation, verification of effectiveness, and documentation of a return to nonproblem status.
Developing an IAQ program
Developing an effective IAQ program involves reviewing and revising staff responsibilities so that IAQ considerations are incorporated into routine procedures. You cannot control IAQ if you cannot control asbestos, lead paint, and other environmental health and safety issues. Responsibility for areas such as operations, auditing, periodic surveillance, record keeping, purchasing, O&M programs, communications, training, planning, and policy making may be assigned in many different ways. Furthermore, many of these items overlap or are interdependent. Pulling them together into one overall program will save time, lower costs, reduce training time, and increase effectiveness. More than any other environmental health and safety concern, IAQ requires that multiple issues be controlled and may provide the motivation needed to develop and implement a single compliance program. However the program is planned and developed, the following are seven key elements of good IAQ management:
- Understand the fundamental influences that affect IAQ in your building by:
- becoming familiar with IAQ literature
- keeping abreast of new information
- Select an IAQ manager with:
- clearly defined responsibilities
- adequate authority and resources
- Use the IAQ baseline audit and other available information to:
- evaluate the design, operation, and use of the building or facility
- identify potential IAQ problem locations
- identify staff and contractors whose activities affect IAQ
- identify procedures for evaluating and diagnosing
- correct nonspecific complaints
- Review and revise staff responsibilities to ensure that conditions that may affect IAQ are accounted for. In addition, establish lines of communication for sharing information about:
- equipment in need of repair or replacement
- plans to remodel, renovate, or redecorate
- new uses of building space
- an increase in the number of occupants
- installation of new equipment
- Review standard O&M procedures and make necessary revisions to promote good IAQ, such as:
- terms of contracts (for example, pest control, and leases)
- scheduling of activities that produce dust, emissions, and odors
- scheduling of equipment operation, inspection, and maintenance
- specifications for supplies (for example, products, construction materials, and furnishings)
- policy regarding tobacco smoking within the building
- preventive maintenance, pest control, and housekeeping
- Review the existing record-keeping system and make necessary revisions to:
- establish a system to log IAQ-related complaints
- obtain Material Safety Data Sheets for hazardous materials used and stored in the building
- Educate staff members, occupants, and contractors about their influence on IAQ by:
- establishing a health and safety committee
- instituting training programs as needed
It is vital to maintain IAQ records. There is so much information that can affect proper IAQ management that you must maintain an organized information management system that includes diligent record keeping. Keep information about items such as:
- Initial IAQ profile and baseline audit and subsequent audits
- All HVAC testing and balancing
- HVAC modifications and maintenance
- Asbestos locations
- Material Safety Data Sheets
- Tenant use changes
- Relative testing data
- Complaints
- Training
- Building maintenance activities and new materials
Every task, inspection, and incident related to IAQ must be thoroughly documented. Armed with complete and accurate data on the building’s IAQ status and history, management will be prepared to make sound decisions about IAQ whenever changes occur in the building, its tenancy, or its ownership. IAQ problems may occur even in buildings and facilities where owners and manages conscientiously apply the best available practices to avoid the problems. But owners and managers who can demonstrate their ongoing efforts to provide a safe indoor environment are in a strong legal and ethical position if problems do arise.
This article is excerpted from BOMI International’s Clean Air and OSHA Compliance Reference Guide.. The guide can be purchased by calling 1-800-235-2664, or by visiting www.bomi.org.