Both ASHRAE and the International WELL Building Institute have formed panels to address how building standards could limit the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 in buildings.
ASHRAE recently formed a committee to update advice and standards that address viral infections in buildings. The task force will recommend shifts in operational practices and design standards to ensure that buildings limit the spread of pathogens, according to an ASHRAE news release.
The task force is designed to serve as a clearinghouse to handle questions as they come in, to review research and to develop guidance. In addition to guidance and position papers, the task force’s work may lead to changes in ASHRAE standards, including 62.1 (non-residential ventilation), 62.2 (residential ventilation), 55 (thermal comfort), and 170 (healthcare ventilation).
WELL’s task force will examine ways to address infectious threats through building designs, operations, and standards. Among the possibilities are changes to incentives for ventilation and air filters and incorporation of antimicrobial surfaces.
Related Stories
| Sep 11, 2013
San Francisco expected to drop firefighter air tank refilling station rule for skyscrapers
San Francisco is poised to drop a requirement that skyscrapers have refill stations so firefighters can recharge their air tanks during a blaze. The city has required that new high-rises have the air refill systems for about ten years.
| Sep 5, 2013
State legislatures continue to raise the bar on green school construction
Since the beginning of 2013, the USGBC has followed more than 125 bills across 34 states that seek to advance healthy, high-performing schools.
| Sep 5, 2013
Construction industry groups create coalition to respond to new OSHA silica rule
A group of 11 construction trade associations has created the Construction Industry Safety Coalition in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule on silica for the construction industry.
| Sep 5, 2013
Red tape delays California county jail construction projects
California authorized $1.2 billion for jail construction in 2007, but not a single county in the state has completed a jail project since then.
| Sep 5, 2013
New CM-at-risk and design-build options create controversy in Ohio
Some contractors say Ohio's new system puts small and midsize construction companies at a disadvantage.
| Sep 5, 2013
Outdated codes slowed disaster recovery in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Outdated building codes and lack of a master plan slowed the initial rebuilding stage after a devastating tornado leveled parts of Tuscaloosa, Ala. in 2011, according to the city’s mayor.
| Aug 28, 2013
Building collapse prompts legislation to beef up demolition regulations in Philadelphia
Philadelphia City Council will introduce legislation next month to strengthen the regulation of building demolition practices.
| Aug 28, 2013
Rules requiring contractors to boost hiring of veterans criticized
Some businesses are pushing back against proposed rules requiring federal contractors to step up their hiring of returning military service personnel.
| Aug 28, 2013
OSHA moves to reduced exposure to crystalline silica
Under a proposal from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the new permissible exposure limit to crystalline silica per cubic meter of air could be changed from 250 micrograms to 50 micrograms.
| Aug 28, 2013
IPMSC chooses members of committee for global property measurement standard
The International Property Measurement Standards Coalition (IPMSC) has selected 19 real estate experts from around the world to join its Standards Setting Committee to develop a global standard for measuring property.
