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Indoor Air Quality
is as much perception as it is reality. It is important to remember
that all
air contains mold spores. Unless of course you're in a surgical room
and semi conductor Clean Room.
Mold growth
is generally a result of water intrusion of some kind. This could
be a roof leak,
plumbing leak or some other event that allows an accumulation of
water to form. The single most
important thing you can do is determine the source of the water
problem and deal with it. If the source
of the problem is not eliminated the mold will return no matter
what you do.
The next important
thing to do is to treat the water damaged area. Thoroughly dry the
area and inspect it.
Remember, you need to see both sides of the affected area to determine
the full extent of the problem.
If it's a wall and the water was present for only a short period
of time you may not need to open the wall.
However, if you treat the area that has mold and it comes back quickly
that is usually a sign of a bigger problem.
IAQ
Problems Cost Money
Good
indoor air quality enhances occupant health, comfort and increases
productivity. IAQ problems can reduce
worker productivity; create liability problems and other problems
you don't want to deal with.
A Business Week
magazine article recently mentioned "Researchers say improving
office environments could
save companies as much as $258 billion annually by averting illnesses
and boosting worker productivity".
Research from
the Building Owners and Managers Association indicated the cost
of operating a building is
approximately $350 per square foot. Of this cost, approximately
$220 is payroll costs. If only 1% of payroll
costs are lost due to absenteeism and productivity, this may well
exceed the costs of implementing an
IAQ Management Program and remedial activities.
It is always
more cost effective to be Proactive than Reactive. Identifying problems
and fixing them before they
get worse is always a good investment.
Contact
us about our Well Building Program that assists you in establishing
a baseline condition for your facility
and assists you in documenting conditions. This can be a major benefit
if an IAQ problem ever goes to litigation.
It can be an effective way of showing your due diligence.
 What
Causes Buildings to Get Sick?
HVAC
systems are the heart of a buildings environment.
NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) conducted
a study of sick buildings
and determined that over 50% of the indoor air quality problems
were traced to the ventilation system.
Ventilation,
Design, Operation and Maintenance
A
problem in any one of these areas can adversely affect the IAQ in
your facility. According to the NIOSH study
the most frequently noted problem was poor maintenance.
IAQ
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