 |
"IAQ in Classrooms"
The President's Message, September 1999
by Linc Moss, Ramtech Building Systems, Inc. |
As you are probably aware, once again the commercial modular industry has been
hit hard with negative publicity regarding portable classrooms in both the
United States and Canada. Recently, both the Los Angeles Daily News and the New
York Times ran an article addressing indoor air quality (IAQ) issues associated
with portable classrooms in Southern California. Since IAQ seems to be the
latest negative theme linked to portables, I decided to explore the Internet to
determine how widespread IAQ concerns were in the construction industry as a
whole. Entering the words "sick buildings: in our ISP's search engine generated
a mere 14,994 websites that addressed the issue of "sick building syndrome" or
SBS. As you would guess, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a
website dedicated to SBS. In their words, SBS is defined as "an increase in the
frequency of a constellation of acute, nonspecific symptoms characteristically
affecting multiple occupants of a building." My guess is that means when
several people complain of a variety of health problems and frequent the same
office or classroom, we can assume it's the building's fault.
Guess What...It Ain't Just Modulars
Studies conducted by the World Health Organization found that polluted air may
reside in a full one-third of all new and remodeled buildings. Furthermore, a
survey if 5,000 persons in 25 cities found that about two-thirds of all
employees complained of symptoms associated with SBS. The EPA has named SBS as
one of the top five ranked environmental threats to human health, while IAQ has
become a leading issue in environment health and litigation. Probably the most
widely publicized case of SBS was the Imperial Polk County courthouse located
in Bartow, Florida. This newly constructed $ 35 million building immediately
upon completion caused county workers to experience health problems. This
particular building required another 4 years and an additional $ 20 million to
correct a number of problems from inadequate mechanical ventilation to leaking
building components that supported the growth of mold within the building. In
another Florida case, the citizens of Martin County constructed a $ 12 million
courthouse that had to be immediately renovated. Similar to Polk County, the
mechanical system was overwhelmed by the South Florida climate and could not
stop the growth of mold and mildewithin the building. Costs to correct the
problem more than double the original construction.
The Facts as We Know Them
SBS does not specifically describe the structure, but rather the symptoms that
the structure's occupants may contract as a result of the indoor environment.
The typical symptoms of a building's inhabitants that trigger SBS concerns
include, headaches, respiratory infections, dizziness, lethargy, runny noses,
nausea, scratchy throats, and itchy or watery eyes. SBS occurs in older
buildings due to antiquated heating and ventilation systems but is more common
in buildings constructed after the1970's where the main goal was to produce a
building that was airtight and energy efficient. Buildings may be declared
"sick" when chemicals emitted by construction materials, cleaning compounds,
installed equipment, and furnishings collect in largely detectable amounts
inside the structure. Specific causes of SBS are unknown. Case research
indicates that there are many factors that contribute to SBS. These factors can
be broken down into two major categories: (1) inadequate ventilation due to a
number of factors from poor design and installation of mechanical systems to
improper operation and maintenance of the HVAC equipment and (2) the existence
of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from internal and external sources.
Typical sources for indoor VOCs are carpeting, adhesives, upholstery,
manufactured wood products, pesticides, and cleaning compounds. Examples of
outdoor sources are motor vehicle exhaust, plumbing vents, and building exhaust
such as from restrooms and kitchens.
Possible Solutions to Sick Buildings Syndrome
The following are suggestions taken from the EPA website to combat SBS.
First. Remove or modify the source of the pollution. This is the most effective
way to combat IAQ problems. Removal or modification, however, requires
identifying the source of the IAQ problem, which is seldom a single agent.
Examples include periodic routine maintenance of the HVAC equipment,
replacement of any water stained interior components such as ceiling tiles and
carpeting; and storage of paints, adhesives, cleaning compounds, and pesticides
in well ventilated areas. Use of these same chemicals should be restricted to
periods when the building is not occupied and allow time for the affected area
to off-gas before occupancy.
Second, Increase ventilation rates. This seems so elementary to IAQ, yet many
buildings are operating with improperly maintained HVAC systems. Proper
maintenance and systems designed to meet ASHRAE ventilation standards are
critical to a building's IAQ.
Third. As IAQ issues become ever more increasing, it is critical that building
occupants, management, and maintenance personnel fully understand and
communicate the causes and consequences of IAQ problems. Through knowledge and
effective communication, both preventative and remedial programs can be
instituted as part of an IAQ management program.
An Excellent example of education and communication is the State of California's
Department of Health Services' IAQ Info Sheet titled "Advisory On Relocatable
and Renovated Classrooms." This document discusses design, construction, first
use, and maintenance considerations relating to IAQ of portable classrooms and
is available online at
http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/ps/deodc/ehlb/iaqs/classrooms.htm or from MBI
Headquarters. (editors note: this document is no longer available on their
website.)
Finally. . .
Before donning a gas mask and then rushing out to call an attorney, one should
consider the following from an article by Ben Mohr.
"Sick Building Syndrome is the best explanation we have for unusually high rates
of worker illness in many of today's buildings...Before we conduct any in-depth
study of SBS, it is necessary to approach the problem with a degree of
skepticism. The earliest reports I've found of SBS are in the 1970's; what
happened before then. Did people simply accept their working conditions without
complaint? Were building materials less toxic? It is difficult to deny that
building and material technology has improved since then. According to
Architecture magazine, 'The science of measuring air is precise enough to
identify the presence of particles and gases. However, associating the health
effects of prolonged exposure to such toxins with specific threshold levels is
not exacting." Thus, the only evidence of SBS we have comes from people, who
are notorious for being inexact and unscientific."
These may be the most profound words written about the subject. In this
litigious society that we all live today, the first thing that comes to many
people's minds is "Who is at fault and how can I get rich from it? Before our
government commissions billions of dollars on research, studies, regulations,
and mandatory remodeling, we need studies cross-referencing SBS complaints with
exterior pollutants such as high pollen counts, industrial waste, and carbon
monoxide. Possible other factors to study are employee attitudes towards a job
or even a building. Low worker morale or the objection of parent groups to
modular classrooms may very well have an impact upon the perceived health
threat the building poses to its occupants.
|