Even as businesses reopen and employees return to work, the US continues to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a new frontier and building and facilities managers face many challenges to safe reopening. New guidelines for social distancing and workstation layouts need special attention. Doing so puts the safety and wellbeing of employees first. Access to tools that track the indoor environment and collects and interprets data is also needed for making changes. The fact is indoor air quality monitoring fights coronavirus. As a result, IAQ issues stand out as a top concern for maintaining a healthy and safe work environment.
The Importance of IAQ Monitoring
Pure Air Control Services offers systems and methods to improve IAQ. For example, monitoring CO2 levels triggers alerts to changes in airflow/ventilation. As a result, building managers can adjust social distancing and traffic flow issues. Maintaining proper temperatures and rH levels also help prevent infectious outbreaks. Above all, the right tools and data make sure that the conditions that promote infections get addressed fast. This also leads to as little disruption to workflow as possible.
Likewise, cleaning and maintaining mechanical system components is important. Clean evaporator coils and air handling units improves indoor air quality to fight coronavirus. The result is a healthier work environment.
Building Sciences Provides Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
Building Sciences include a series of services designed to track and correct IAQ issues. This includes:
- Building assessments
- Forensic investigations
- Consultations
- Environmental testing
As a result, the health and comfort of building occupants improve. These services also improve efficiency which lowers energy costs. Most importantly, the Building Sciences team works with facilities management to improve indoor air quality monitoring to fight coronavirus.
The full list of Building Sciences services includes a Building Health Check, HVAC Hygiene Assessment, and IAQ Guard.
Building Health Check
The Pure Air Controls Building Health Check is a complete and practical method for conducting indoor air quality monitoring with environmental testing and evaluation. For example, the system monitors HVAC zones to record temperature and humidity levels. It also screens for dust and allergens and performs mold assessments. This data gets collected and then compiled into a detailed report so that managers can address IAQ issues. These tests include:
- Mold Assessments
- Allergen & Dust Screening
- Contaminant Source & Risk Assessments
- Wall & Floor Moisture Testing
- Temperature & Humidity Logging
- Test & Balance Reporting
HVAC Hygiene Assessment
The HVAC Hygiene Assessment gives managers information on how their HVAC systems are working. It also measures the system’s impact on IAQ. For instance, when mechanical systems become dirty their performance degrades. This limits their ability to circulate airflow and increases energy costs. As a result, IAQ suffers. The hygiene assessment collects samples and tests them to determine what impact the system has on pressure or airflow across the evaporator coils. Then samples get sent to the EDLab which looks for the presence of bacteria and fungi. The resulting report gives managers the information they need so they can address issues of airflow and energy inefficiency, leakage, airtightness, and building pressure.
The HVAC Hygiene Assessment includes:
- Airflow & Energy Efficiency Testing
- Air Conveyance Hygiene & Prioritization
- Duct Leakage
- Building Pressure Analysis
- Air Filtration
- Post Construction Evaluations
- Building Air Tightness Testing
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring in Real Time
The benefits of a real-time monitoring program should not be understated. The data helps managers respond with remediation to provide safety and save money. With IAQ Guard, around-the-clock monitoring is in effect with sensors placed throughout the building. This IAQ monitoring data gets logged and the information gets reported to the Pure Services team. As a result, Coronavirus environmental sampling and RT-qPCR (RNA) gets scheduled to ensure the safety of everyone in the building.
IAQ Guard provides the following data:
- Temperature and relative humidity
- Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC)
- Particulate matter and the total number of counted particle sizes
- CO2 and other gases
Other Engineered Solutions
Preventative solutions such as HVAC cleaning and duct cleaning reduce the threat posed to building occupants. Additionally, bipolar ionization is effective in destroying airborne viruses with HVAC-mounted ionizers. This results in a cleaner, healthier indoor environment with a lower risk of infectious outbreaks.
Pure Air Control understands the ways that HVAC impacts COVID-19. We help building and facilities managers reduce risk, increase energy efficiency, and improve indoor air quality.
Article Source: https://pureaircontrols.com/indoor-air-quality-monitoring-fights-coronavirus/
