Building Air Quality Alliance Program fro Building Management

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has emerged as a major concern for building owners, managers, engineers and tenants. As the public recognizes the importance of healthy, comfortable. and productive indoor environments, their awareness and demand for good IAQ increases. EPA studies rank indoor air pollution among the top five risks of environmental threats to public health. Guidance on achieving acceptable air quality and on preventing indoor air pollution is available. The 199 1 EPAMIOSH guide, Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers. has been widely accepted as a state-of-the- art guide to indoor air management. To promote the use of these straightforward guidelines, the EPA and other leaders in the IAQ field developed a voluntary program based on the principles outlined in the Building Air Quality guide. Government funding to promote and operate the program was eliminated due to budgetary constraints although the program had gained widespread support. The University City Science Center, a private non-profit institution, has introduced a private sector Building Air Quality Alliance closely patterned after the EPA program. This paper outlines these programs. The guiding principals of the Alliance program include; 1) Make IAQ a Priority - establish good health. open communications, and mutual respect as priorities 2) Know How to Prevent Pollution - ensure building staff are knowledgeable, 3) Practice Good IAQ Management, 4) Fix Things That Go Wrong - establish effective problem-resolution procedures and act to solve problems promptly, 5) Communicate with Building Occupants. The Alliance action plan includes specific management practices including; Step I) Designate an IAQ Manager, Step 2) Develop an IAQ Profile of the Building, Step 3) Address Existing and Potential IAQ Problems, Step 4) Educate Building Personnel About IAQ, Step 5) Develop and Implement a Plan for Facility Operations and Maintenance, Step 6) Manage Potential Indoor Pollutant Sources, Step 7) Communicate with Tenants and Occupants, Step 8) Establish Procedures for Responding to IAQ Complaints