Slide 14 of 26
Notes:
Third Tier Review – Investigation: At this point data is collected on conditions in the building. If the facility management has the resources internal personnel can perform this work.
- Health and Safety: Measure for specific potential chemical contaminants (e.g. volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, etc.) to determine if contaminants are found within the complaint area. Inspect for microbiological growth. If this is found it is removed and the temperature and humidity conditions that allowed the amplification are corrected. Air sampling for bioaerosols is not generally recommended, as there is currently no direct relationship between such measurements and health complaints in buildings. For example, the some IAQ Programs do not call for bioaerosols sampling unless it is recommended by a medical opinion.
- Faculties: Log temperature and humidity to determine if it meets the requirement of ASHRAE Standard 55-1992 “Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy,” log carbon dioxide levels for one week, measure carbon dioxide in various locations with in the problem area, measure ventilation air to determine if the requirement of ASHRAE 62-1999, “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality,” are being met.
- Recommendations: The findings of this Review should be documented and a formal and coordinated recommendation made by all involved parties. It is likely that all but the most sophisticated municipalities will have to bring an outside consultant to assist in evaluating the data and developing a plan for corrective action.
Any corrective work should be evaluated over a 60-day period. This evaluation should include logging of temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide if the correction involved changes in the HVAC system. These parameters should be re-checked at each season to insure that the requirements of the ASHRAE standards are met with differing outdoor conditions.
