A PROACTIVE APPROACH FOR MANAGING INDOOR AIR-QUALITY

Ventilation and maintenance, followed by psychosocial issues, are the factors most often implicated in indoor air quality (IAQ) investigatio ns. The absence of accepted exposure standards and the presence of a w ide variety of building designs, ages, ventilation systems, and usages often make IAQ complaint investigations ineffective. Thus, the best a pproach to achieving IAQ is to prevent problems from occurring. This p aper presents the framework for a proactive approach to managing the c auses most often implicated in IAQ investigations. It is the aim of th is proactive protocol to provide a cost-effective guide for preventing IAQ problems in nonindustrial settings and in buildings for which the re are no current IAQ complaints. The proposed protocol focuses on hea ting, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system maintenance and operation; psychosocial factors; and the handling and investigation of complaints. An IAQ manager is designated to implement and manage the protocol. The HVAC system portion of the protocol focuses on proper ma intenance of the components often identified as sources of problems in IAQ studies, documentation of the maintenance procedures, and trainin g of individuals responsible for building maintenance. The protocol ad dresses the psychosocial factors with an environmental survey that rat es the occupants' perceptions of the indoor air to identify potential IAQ problems. The psychosocial portion of the protocol also incorporat es occupant education and awareness. Finally, a three-step initial inv estigation procedure for addressing IAQ problems is presented.