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IAQ Management

From: Brian Mcfarland
Date: 21 Aug 2001
Time: 15:47:51
Remote Name: ip-114-132-13.phx.extremezone.com

Comments

If there is not a single complaint about the Indoor Air Quality in any given building, but there are prominent signs of Indoor Air Quality problems, do you have a IAQ problem?

According to ASHREA's definition of acceptable IAQ:"Air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant authorities and with which a substantial majority (80% or above) of the people do not express dissatisfaction", you do not have a IAQ issue. Currently, this is the most widely accepted definition of acceptable IAQ, and the basis for the standard of care that is established for acceptable IAQ. However, if you are aware of existing IAQ problems in your building, are you legally or perhaps morally obligated to handle these IAQ issues.

Management of Indoor Air Quality is becoming a arduous responsibility. IAQ managers are often called on to make decisions that require the use of risk management skills. Risk management can be a hard concept to understand. Let's break down risk management into its separate definitions:

Risk, The possibility of loss or injury. The chance of loss or the perils to the subject matter to a insurance contract, and the degree of probability of such a loss.

Management, (v.) to handle or direct with a degree of skill. To make and keep compliant. To exercise executive, administration, supervision of a means to an end.

Risk Management is then defined as: The process of analyzing exposure to risk and determining how to best handle such exposure.

Risk management is different for every occupation, and potentially different for every situation in each occupation. In IAQ terms, risk management is used to determine the process of administrating policies and procedures that lead to acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Risk management decisions are often involved in all of the following:

Establishing a proactive IAQ program Complaint Response IAQ problem response when no complaints have been filed Determining when to hire outside IAQ consultants Determining the scope of IAQ investigations Determining response to reports generated by IAQ investigations

These are just a few of the decisions that IAQ managers have to make, where they should employ risk management skills.

So, back to the question at hand. Do you have an IAQ problem if no complaints have been filed about Indoor air Quality?

The answer is yes or no, that is, to determine if you have a IAQ problem you must aces the issue through the use of risk management.

Last changed: May 27, 2008