Title: Reading and Audio-Visual Assignments
Course: WGF 106 DEVELOPMENT > Section: Content

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Sub-Title | Good IEQ Practices and Their Adoption
Content | Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a building’s environment in relation to the health and wellbeing of those who occupy space within it. IEQ is determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, and damp conditions. Workers are often concerned that they have symptoms or health conditions from exposures to contaminants in the buildings where they work. One reason for this concern is that their symptoms often get better when they are not in the building. While research has shown that some respiratory symptoms and illnesses can be associated with damp buildings, it is still unclear what measurements of indoor contaminants show that workers are at risk for disease. In most instances where a worker and his or her physician suspect that the building environment is causing a specific health condition, the information available from medical tests and tests of the environment is not sufficient to establish which contaminants are responsible. Despite uncertainty about what to measure and how to interpret what is measured, research shows that building-related symptoms are associated with building characteristics, including dampness, cleanliness, and ventilation characteristics. Indoor environments are highly complex and building occupants may be exposed to a variety of contaminants (in the form of gases and particles) from office machines, cleaning products, construction activities, carpets and furnishings, perfumes, cigarette smoke, water-damaged building materials, microbial growth (fungal, mold, and bacterial), insects, and outdoor pollutants. Other factors such as indoor temperatures, relative humidity, and ventilation levels can also affect how individuals respond to the indoor environment. Understanding the sources of indoor environmental contaminants and controlling them can often help prevent or resolve building-related worker symptoms. Practical guidance for improving and maintaining the indoor environment is available.
Video | Berkeley Lab Answers Your Indoor Air Quality Questions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIUgCBPZj-c
Content
ADOPTING  GOOD  IEQ  PRACTICES…

What workers can do:

When workers suspect their health problems are caused by exposure to building-related dampness or mold, workers should:

- Report concerns immediately to supervisors or those persons responsible for building maintenance.
- See your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
- Ask your doctor whether you should be medically restricted from the affected environment.

What management and building owners can do:

When health problems are believed to be caused by exposure to dampness or mold in the workplace, owners and managers should:

- Always respond when occupant health concerns are reported.
- Establish clear procedures for recording and responding to IEQ complaints to ensure an adequate and timely response.
  - Log all complaints or problem reports.
  - Collect information about each complaint.
  - Ensure confidentiality.
  - Determine a plan for response.
  - Identify appropriate resources for response.
  - Apply remedial action.
  - Provide feedback to building occupants regarding the complaint and response actions.
  - Follow-up to ensure that remedial action has been effective.
- Regularly inspect building areas for evidence of dampness; take prompt steps to identify and correct the causes of any dampness problems found.
- Conduct regularly scheduled heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system inspections, and promptly correct any problems.
- Prevent high indoor humidity through the proper design and operation of HVAC systems.
- Dry any porous building materials that have become wet from leaks or flooding within 48 hours.
- Clean and repair or replace any building materials that are moisture-damaged or show evidence of visible mold growth. Follow remediation guidelines such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings.
- Encourage occupants who have developed persistent or worsening respiratory symptoms while working in the building to see a health care provider.
- Follow health care provider recommendations for relocation of occupants diagnosed with building-related respiratory disease.

Establish an indoor environmental quality (IEQ) team consisting of a coordinator and representatives of the building employees, employers, and building management who would oversee implementation of an IEQ program. The EPA Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools can be used as a model for such a program.
Links/Uploads
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Health and Economic Impacts of Building Ventilation

Ventilation Rates and Office Work Performance

Ventilation Rates and School Performance

Ventilation Rates and Respiratory Illness

Ventilation Rates and Absences in Offices and Schools

Ventilation Rates and Sick Building Syndrome Symptoms

Ventilation Rates and Health in Homes

Implications for Good Ventilation Practices

Some Disadvantages of Increased Ventilation

Supporting Information

Downloadable Papers

List of Cited Documents

Indoor Dampness, Biological Contaminants and Health

Nature and Causes of Building Dampness

Prevalence of Building Dampness

Impacts of Building Dampness on Indoor Air Quality

Dampness-Related Health Risks

Health Risk of Dampness or Mold in Houses

Health Risks of Dampness or Mold in Workplaces and Schools

Health Risks of Dust Mite Allergens

Health Risks of Mycotoxins From Damp Buildings

Health Risks of Microbial and Non-Microbial Gaseous Chemicals Associated With Building Dampness

Implication for Good Building Practices

Downloadable Papers

List of Cited Documents

Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Health

Sensory Irritation Symptoms

Allergy, Asthma, and Related Respiratory Symptoms

Cancer

Downloadable Papers

List of Cited Documents

Impacts of Indoor Environments on Human Performance and Productivity

Temperature and Office Work Performance

Temperature and School Work Performance

Ventilation Rates and Office Work Performance

Ventilation Rates and School Work Performance

Indoor Pollutant Sources and Work Performance

Perceived Indoor Air Quality and Work Performance

Daylight, View, and School and Office Work Performance

Lighting Levels, Lighting Quality, and Work Performance

Cost Effectiveness of Improving Indoor Environments to Increase Productivity

Implications for Good Building Practices

Supporting Information

Downloadable Papers

List of Cited Documents

Benefits of Improving Indoor Environmental Quality

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Introduction to IEQ http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/

Dampness and Mold in Buildings http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/mold.html

Building Ventilation http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/BuildingVentilation.html

Maintaining IEQ During Renovation & Construction http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/ConstructionIEQ.html

Chemicals & Odors http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/ChemicalsOdors.html

Other IEQ Resources http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/other.html

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

IAQ Introduction                            http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html

Indoor Air Quality and Community-based Action – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/Environmental-Justice-Indoor-Air-Quality-and-Community-Based-Action.pdf
Attributions | Image and Content courtesy of Indoor Air Division – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency