06.L Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management.
Supervisors must report employee concerns or complaints of IAQ problems to the facility manager/owner or other designated representative.
06.L.01 Investigations.
That individual will be responsible for investigating and resolving the IAQ complaint in a timely manner and reporting back to the supervisor. For leased facilities, procedures for resolving IAQ issues should ultimately be investigated and resolved by the lessor. An IH or other qualified and competent person must initiate an IAQ investigation using appropriate guidelines published by ACGIH; AIHA; ANSI; American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); EPA; OSHA; NIOSH; or other Federal, DOD, State, local, and host nation requirements.
At a minimum the following must be investigated:
- Ensure building activities, such as painting, roof repairs, carpet installation and repair and other activities likely to involve usage of chemicals or solvents, are conducted after normal working hours where possible or in a manner that will prevent exposure to occupants.
- Evaluate condition of the air-handling system for proper operation, make-up air supply, blocked dampers or diffusers, cleanliness of ducts and filters, and standing water or wet areas.
- Educate employees and supervisors concerning measures they can take to help maintain acceptable IAQ in their work areas. Employees must be instructed not to make unauthorized modifications to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems (i.e., blocking off vents, removing ceiling tiles).
06.L.02 Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
Employees must be protected from involuntary exposure to ETS in working and public living environments.
- Smoking, to include the use of smokeless cigarettes or cigars, must be prohibited inside all DoD vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and work buildings.
- Designated smoking areas only in outdoor locations that are not commonly used or accessed by nonsmokers must be provided. In accordance with Executive Order 13058, all outside smoking areas must be a minimum of 25 ft (7.6 m) from building entrances. Before establishing outside smoking area, local ordinances must be reviewed and most stringent must apply. Receptacles must be provided in designated smoking areas for the containment of cigarette butts and other smoking by-products.
- Designated smoking areas must be located away from supplied-air intakes and building entryways/egresses to prevent ETS from entering occupied buildings and structures.
06.L.03 Mold Evaluation.
Because mold can contribute to health problems ranging from minor irritation to serious debilitation if found in high quantities or improper locations, a mold assessment must be performed when need is indicated.
- Assessments/remediation must be overseen by a competent mold inspector with a minimum of 5 years experience in evaluation of indoor air problems and an understanding both the properties of mold behaviors and building design or construction. This person must be an IH, microbiologist, or a qualified indoor air specialist or mold inspector who has been certified by an independent IAQ certifying agency and/or who can demonstrate training and experience in the IAQ investigative field. Some states, local authorities and host nations also require this person to be licensed.
- A visual assessment of potential mold hazards must be performed, based on criteria in the, U.S. Army Public Health Command TG 278, Industrial Hygiene Preventive Medicine Mold Assessment Guide, the EPA Indoor Air Quality Checklists, and guidance from AIHA. Bulk and/or air samples are generally not necessary to evaluate mold hazardous environments.
- A mold assessment must be written and must contain the following:
- (1) Description of the area assessed including size (footprint), ventilation, and occupancy;
- (2) Name and qualifications of the individual completing the assessment;
- (3) Any sample results taken, including location of the sample result, date and time of the sample, temperature and humidity at the time of the sample; and laboratory procedure used to analyze the sample;
- (4) Drawing of the area showing location of samples, location of visible mold or mildew and the type of substrate it is growing on, ventilation sources in the room, and other information thought to be important;
- (5) Potential sources of the moisture which has caused the mold growth;
- (6) Recommendations for controlling the problem and remediating the mold.
- Causes of mold (i.e., water leakages, seepages, drainage, HVAC/ insulation repaired, etc.) must be addressed before completing mold remediation.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-19. To prevent exposure to occupants, what is recommended when painting, roof repairs, carpet installation and repair and other activities likely to involve usage of chemicals or solvents be conducted?
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