Topic: Indoor Air Quality: Utilizing a standards approach

Presenters: Anthony Patterson, OSH Manager, St. Vincent Electricity Services Ltd, CARIOSH Chairman; and Brandon Henry, OSH Manager Dominica Electricity Services Limited

Moderator: Raul Villaneuva, Superintendent, Health and the Environment, Belize Electricity Services Ltd.

IAQ is sometimes an underestimated source of workplace hazards due to the invisible nature of many AQ contaminants. Among the factors in poor IAQ cited by ASHRAE have been: inadequate consideration of IAQ in the design phase of projects, improper installation, contaminants from indoor air sources including equipment, inadequate ventilation rates and ineffective filtration and air cleaning. There are also challenges relating to the classification of AQ hazards and their threshold values. Complicating this is the fact that not much data exists for the combined effect of exposure to multiple contaminants, whether chemical or microbial, at relatively low exposure levels for an extended period. IAQ problems can be expensive to assess and define as expertise and equipment are not always readily available. Greater awareness of existing standards is needed. Occupants of buildings with poor IAQ may also report a number of health problems due to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) or Tight Building Syndrome (TBS), Building-Related Illness (BRI) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS). A few cases of IAQ challenges will be cited in addition to relevant best practice and standards and examples of IAQ assessments and technical solutions.