Powered Ventilation Service Is Critical To Air Health For Employees
Millions of Americans work in commercial buildings. For commercial building managers and companies that occupy commercial buildings, keeping the occupants safe is the top priority. In terms of commercial building safety, indoor environmental air quality and proper ventilation play an important role. As a powered ventilation service provider, Design Components invites you to look more closely into the importance of ventilation for your commercial building and the requirements for it.
The Importance of Ventilation in Commercial Buildings
Whether it’s natural or powered, proper air ventilation is crucial to any commercial space as it performs various functions:
- Brings fresh air from outdoors into the building while drawing out the stale air from inside.
- Removes or dilutes airborne pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, mold, pollen, etc.
- Hinders the spread of respiratory diseases.
- Controls humidity levels
If you are a building manager and you haven’t been keeping up with the ventilation systems, we strongly advise you to take action on the matter for the sake of the occupants’ safety.
Ventilation Requirements in Commerical Buildings
ASHRAE Standard 62.1 & 62.2
In 1989, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) came up with Standard 62-1989 to define indoor air quality. The main goal of the standard is to “specify minimum ventilation rates and indoor air quality that will be acceptable to human occupants and are intended to minimize the potential for adverse health effects.”
Though rules vary depending on the state, over the years, the ASHRAE Standards 62.1 and 62.2 still remain the core standards when it comes to ventilation in commercial buildings. They are updated annually, so be sure to visit their website and follow new changes to the standards. According to ASHRAE, local authorities have the right not to “adopt standards written by industry standards writing organizations”. However, the ASHRAE Standards 62.1-2016 and 62.2-2016 were “written in enforceable mandatory language to facilitate adoption into codes.”
OSHA Standard 1910.94
With Standard 1910.94, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) focuses on Occupational Health and Environmental Control. It is applicable to general industries, so in cases of shipyard employment, long-shoring, and construction, visit the OSHA website for more details. All employers must strictly comply with any OSHA standards that are applicable to their business.
ASHRAE Standard 180-2018 This standard is not a requirement. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CCD) has suggested it to employers who have shutdown their business operations and commercial building during the COVID-19 pandemic.
* ASHRAE Standard 180-2018 may play a very important role for your company if it has been shutdown for any amount of time due to the current Covid-19 Pandemic. Since the building ventilation system has been shut down for some time, it is important that thorough inspection is performed before activities in the building are resumed.
Need Powered Ventilation Service for Your Commercial Building? Count on Design Components.
Ventilation rates in commercial buildings can be a confusing subject since there are various standards and requirements for indoor air quality. However, you can count on us for your commercial powered ventilation service needs. With 40 years of experience as a metal building accessories supplier, we have developed the best-in-market wall fans and roof fans for ventilation, along with our excellent powered ventilation service.
To speak with an expert about your power ventilation needs, Call Us at (800) 868-9910 or Request A Quote Now. Learn more by connecting with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.