"One study of an elementary school showed that if $8,140 had been spent over 22 years on preventive maintenance, $1.5 million in repairs could have been avoided. In addition, poor indoor air quality can contribute to the closing of schools, create liability problems, and strain relationships among parents, teachers, and the school administration." (Minnesota Dept. of Health)
Airborne Infectious Diseases - ASHRAE Position Document
This position document has been written to provide the membership of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and other interested persons with information on the health consequences of exposure to airborne infectious disease and on the implications of this knowledge for the design, installation and operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. (ASHRAE.org)
This position document has been written to provide the membership of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and other interested persons with information on the health consequences of exposure to airborne infectious disease and on the implications of this knowledge for the design, installation and operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. In this paper three methods of transmission of Airborne Infectious Diseases are discussed, namely through direct contact, large droplet contact, and inhalation of droplet nuclei. The practice of the HVAC&R professional is likely limited to reduction of disease transmission to those diseases transmitted by droplet nuclei. The conclusions regarding needed research and advice for the practitioner are listed in Table 1.
ASHRAE’s sole objective is to advance the arts and sciences of HVAC&R to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world through research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education. Therefore, the health effects of airborne infectious disease transmission are relevant to ASHRAE.
ASHRAE’s position at the present is: · Many infectious diseases are transmitted through inhalation of airborne infectious particles termed droplet nuclei, · Airborne infectious particles can be disseminated through buildings including ventilation systems, ·Airborne infectious disease transmission can be reduced using dilution ventilation, specific in-room flow regimes, room pressure differentials, personalized and source capture ventilation, filtration, and UVGI.
ASHRAE should commit to improving the health of individuals who occupy buildings and should support further research on engineering controls to reduce infectious disease transmission.
