When mold goes unnoticed or unaddressed, it can compromise structural integrity, negatively impact indoor air quality, and even pose serious health risks to building occupants. Mold thrives in damp or humid conditions, which are surprisingly easy to find in commercial buildings, multi-unit residential properties, and even hospitals. Facility managers know that regular inspections, timely repairs,… Read more »
Top 10 Basics for Maintenance Departments to Ensure Indoor Environmental Quality
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and comfort of occupants spending time within your building — whether they are employees, customers, or visitors. And if you’re a building owner or a maintenance director, a large part of your job is to make sure your facility provides a clean, safe,… Read more »
Heat-Related Illness in Industrial Environments: Risks and Prevention Strategies
Heat-related illnesses pose a significant threat to worker health and safety. That’s why it is essential for owners and managers to understand the causes of heat stress, recognize the types of heat-related illnesses, and be ready to implement effective prevention strategies. This article will explore the key factors contributing to heat stress, the various heat-related… Read more »
IEQ: The Rise in Concern About Indoor Environmental Quality
It was once a term used primarily by environmental scientists and government regulators, but “IEQ” (the acronym for “Indoor Environmental Quality”) is now frequently used in mainstream conversations. COVID forced us all to think more deeply about how the indoor environment promotes or detracts from the health of occupants. In this article, we’ll discuss the… Read more »
How to Pass LEED Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing
Healthy building certifications are in strong demand. The COVID-19 pandemic increased concern about indoor air quality, and environmental sustainability has never been more of an issue than it is today. Money spent to boost the environmental credentials of your building is an investment in the health of both your company and your people. We’ve earlier… Read more »
What Is An Air Quality Test? Essential Steps for Assessing Indoor Pollution Levels
Are you aware of the potential impact on your health from the air inside your office or workspace? Studies from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest that indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Key Takeaways Air quality tests reveal unseen pollutants that can impact health. Professional testing measures… Read more »
HVAC Systems Maintenance in Healthcare Settings
Hospitals, clinics, and other specialized healthcare providers present a unique environment where air quality is paramount. Hazards such as surgical smoke, aerosolized medications used in treatments, and airborne infectious agents are commonplace in healthcare and go well beyond the challenges faced in a typical office building or school classroom. The healthcare environment is further complicated… Read more »
Changes in COVID Guidance in Regard to Building Ventilation
Building ventilation requirements came to the forefront of indoor environmental quality concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers worldwide asked, “How do we promote healthier indoor environments through effective and efficient ventilation and filtration?” The pandemic was undoubtedly an eye-opener on the importance of mechanical ventilation. The threat helped building managers better understand the performance, maintenance,… Read more »
How To Respond When There Is an Environmental Health Problem In Your Building
As public awareness of the impact of the environment on human health heightens, so do the demands of employees to work in a safe, healthy environment free of hazards. Concerns over the health of a building, commonly referred to as Indoor Environmental or Air Quality (IEQ or IAQ), can affect the comfort, health, productivity, and… Read more »
How to Evaluate an Odor in Your Building
What’s that smell? Is it dangerous? Should I be concerned? Odor evaluations can be one of the most difficult indoor environmental quality (IEQ) investigations to perform. Odors are also an issue that can quickly escalate from murmuring to a major problem for building owners and management. Approached correctly, though, an odor evaluation can show building… Read more »
Lead in School Drinking Water
Is School Water Safe to Drink? The reality is that lead in school drinking water continues to be a serious concern, with children in many schools potentially drinking water with dangerous levels of lead. Even when water entering a facility meets all federal and state public health standards for lead concentrations, older plumbing materials found… Read more »
Chicago Asbestos Regulations: Navigating Compliance for Property Owners
Asbestos has long been a concern in urban environments due to its prevalence, especially in older buildings, and the significant health risks it poses when fibers become airborne. In response to these risks, Chicago has implemented strict regulations on the handling, removal, and disposal of asbestos-containing materials. These regulations are designed to protect public health… Read more »
Air Sensor Technology and Indoor Air Quality
A direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a heightened awareness of indoor environmental quality by both building occupants and property owners in the built environment. Direct-reading air quality instruments have long existed to monitor indoor air quality pollutants in real-time. Still, in recent years, advances in sensor technology have resulted in an expansion… Read more »
Green Building Certifications: Do You Need One?
How healthy is the building? Is the air and water quality in this building safe? Is ventilation adequate? Questions like these were gaining popularity prior to the COVID pandemic, but are now top of mind for anyone who works in or visits the space. Employers, employees, residents, management, visitors — all care about the health… Read more »
Protecting Schools Against the Risks of Wildfire Smoke Particulate Matter
Wildfires are occurring more frequently than ever before, and the smoke from those fires is threatening the health of not only those who live near the fire but can adversely impact schools and communities hundreds of miles away. Air quality degradation due to wildfire smoke often puts school administrators in the uncomfortable position of balancing… Read more »
Healthy Building Fundamentals: An Overview of the Process
The healthy building movement is not a new idea (it is decades old), but voices in support of a closer look at building health were amplified sharply by the COVID pandemic. Property owners who gave the healthy building concept little thought pre-pandemic are now taking a closer look — and for good reason: Building health… Read more »
Mold in Classrooms and Other IEQ Problems in Schools
Schools are ground zero for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) concerns. Asbestos, lead, mold, PCBs, and many other issues become especially sensitive when classrooms or other student-occupied spaces are involved. FACS experts are often asked to do more than develop a plan for the abatement of hazardous materials. The schools we serve depend on our IEQ… Read more »
Are CO2 Sensors Now Required in All California Classrooms?
In January of 2021, the California Division of the State Architect issued Bulletin IR N-2 stating that “As of January 1, 2021, all existing classrooms must be equipped with a carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring device meeting all of Section 1625.” The Section 1625 reference is to the California Public Utilities Code (PUC) Article 3, Chapter… Read more »
To Modify or Not to Modify, that is the Question – Building Ventilation Systems and COVID-19 – FACS Update #12
The main transmission routes for SARS-CoV-2 are direct contact or respiratory droplets (aerosols) during close contact (within six feet for 15 minutes) with an infected person. However, according to an early release CDC report due out this July, whether SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted by aerosols remains controversial. The following discussion will try to shed some… Read more »