3.

3 INDOOR AIR QUALITY

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Not really a new concern or issue
Prehistoric caves were found to
have ventilation provisions
Indoor air pollution can be traced
to prehistoric times when humans
first moved to temperate climates
and it became necessary to
construct shelters and use fire
inside them for cooking, warmth
and light
Fire led to exposure to high levels
of pollution, as evidenced by the
soot found in prehistoric caves

WHAT IS IAQ?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to quality of
air inside buildings served by common airconditioning / mechanical ventilation
system
Usually applied to non-industrial
environments, e.g. office buildings
Good IAQ is desired for healthy indoor
environment.
Poor IAQ can cause variety of health
problems such as sick building syndrome
(SBS) or building related illnesses (BRI).

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Acceptable indoor air is defined by
ASHRAE:
Air in which there are no known
contaminates at harmful
concentrations and which a
substantial majority (usually 80%) of
the people exposed do not express
dissatisfaction
(ASHRAE 62-1999)

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

A phenomenon that occur when
more than 20% of the occupants of a
building complain about air quality or
have definite symptoms (ILO
Encyclopaedia)

BUILDING RELATED
ILLNESSES
Less often, but often more serious, and are
accompanied by very definite clinical signs & clear
laboratory findings
Most common illnesses are
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis,
Humidifier fever,
Asthma, Rhinitis,
Dermatitis
Infections
Legionnaires disease,
Tuberculosis (TB),
Common cold

SOURCES FOR INDOOR AIR

POLLUTION?
Tobacco smoke
From outdoors: pollen, fine particles from traffic etc.
House dust mites in upholstery, carpets, heavy
curtains
Toner dust from laser printers and copiers
People and animals
Fire places, wood and gas stoves
Fungus
VOCs from furniture, paint, press board etc.

What are VOCs?

Volatile organic compounds are chemicals used to manufacture and

maintain building materials, interior furnishing, cleaning products
and personal care products. "Volatile" means that these
chemicals evaporate or can easily get into the air at room
temperature. "Organic" means these chemicals are carbon based.
The term "chemical emissions" refers to VOCs as they evaporate
into the air from products.
Studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) and
other researchers have found that VOCs are common in indoor
environments and that their levels may be two to a
thousand times higher than outdoors. There may be anywhere
from 50 to hundreds of individual VOCs in the indoor air at any one
time. Some may produce objectionable odors at very low levels, but
many have no noticeable smell. Many VOCs are irritants and
can cause headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation and
dizziness. Long-term exposure to certain VOCs may lead to
chronic diseases or cancer. At high concentrations, some
VOCs are toxic.

DUST MITE

MOLDS

SYMPTOMS OF POOR INDOOR AIR

QUALITY

Headaches
Fatigue
Skin disorders
Fever
Loss of memory
Drowsiness
Nausea
Upper and lower respiratory problems

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

AND THEIR HEALTH EFFECTS

Headache
Dizziness
Irritated mucous
membranes
Increased risk of
getting a cold
Allergies
Asthma
Lung disease
Skin irritation

Heavy dust, pollen,

house dust mites
allergens

Respirable dust

Fine particles, gas, VOCs

Consequences of Dry Air

Dry and itchy skin

Fatigue, feeling of
sickness, illnesses

Dried out wooden

furniture and hardwood
floors

Increased risk of
getting a cold, dry
mucous
membranes

Musical instruments
get out of tune

JABATAN KESELAMATAN DAN KESIHATAN PEKERJAAN

MALAYSIA

CONTENT OF INDUSTRY
CODES
OF PRACTICE (ICOP) ON
Introduction
IAQ
Purpose
Scope and Application

Complaints and Investigation of an IAQ

Complaints procedure
Assessment report

Control Of Indoor Air Quality

Control of Exposure
Information, instruction & training

Record Keeping
Keeping of records
Record to be kept

Registration as an Indoor Air Quality Assessor

PURPOSE OF ICOP
To provide guidance on improving the
indoor air quality (IAQ) and;
To set minimum standard for selected
parameters that will avoid discomfort
and/or adverse health effect among
employees and other occupants of ;
an indoor or enclosed environment served
by a
mechanical ventilating and air conditioning
(MVAC) system including and/or aircooled split unit

Scope and Application

Domestic buildings

Any area or
part of
building
where any
chemicals
hazardous to
health are
used for
analytical,
research or
preservation
purposes

Applies to all
buildings or
any part of
building or
totally
enclosed
areas served
by MVAC
including aircooled split
unit where
persons
work EXCEPT
Removal
and
disposal
of
asbestos
containin
g

Any area or any

part of the
building which is
constructed,
used or intended
to be used for
domestic or
industrial
purposes

17

COMPLAINTS OF
IAQ PROBLEM

18

 Complaints Procedure
The Building
Owner or
Building
Management
shall

Establish a
procedure to
deal with
complaint
from
employer and
occupants
related to
signs and
symptoms
perceived to
be due to IAQ2
Appendix

Form

Ensure that
an
investigatio
n is
conducted
to ascertain
the cause,
upon receipt
of
complaint.

- sample of IAQ Complaint

20

INVESTIGATION OF
IAQ PROBLEM

21

Responsibility & Duty to investigate when

22

Receive indoor air quality

complaints

Communicate to building
owner or building
management

Conduct walkthrough
inspection

IAQ
Complaints &
Investigation
Process

YES
Notify complainant

(Appendix 3)

Is there an
obvious
solution for the
complaints?

NO
Rectify problem or implement
the recommended solution

Conduct IAQ assessment

Present Assessment Report to

occupier and/or building
owner
Follow-up to make sure the
problem does not recur

Record keeping
23

Walkthrough Inspection

Provides basic information on factors affect IAQ

e.g. no. of occupant, MVAC system, pollutant
pathways and potential contaminant sources.

Walkthrough may involve these activities

Collect information about the history of the building and

ventilation system;
collect previous record of IAQ complaints;
notify the building occupants of the upcoming investigation;
identify key individuals for access to relevant information as well
as relevant locations within the building; and
identify potential contaminants and their sources.

To facilitate the walk through inspection, a Checklist is

provided in Appendix 3-A.
24

 Initial Findings

25

 Assessment of IAQ By IAQ Assessor

The assessment shall carried out during normal business
activity and must consider: the sources of indoor air contaminants;
an occupants exposure to ETS;
an occupants exposure to air contaminants, either from indoor or
outdoor sources;
the prescribed activities;
the adequacy of mechanical ventilation at the place of work; and
the necessary actions to be taken to improve the IAQ.

The assessment shall include:

measurement of specific physical parameters listed in TABLE 1;

Measurement of indoor air contaminants listed in TABLE 2;
walkthrough inspection
symptom survey - Sample of symptoms survey questionnaire

provided in

Appendix 3-B .

The IAQ assessor shall present and submit the assessment

report to the building owner or building management
within 1 month upon completion of the assessment.

Parameter
(a)Air
temperature
(b) Relative
humidity

Acceptable
range
23 26 oC
40-70%
0.15 0.50 m/s

(c) Air
movement
Reference
MS 1525 : 2001

Code of practice on energy efficiency and renewable

energy for non-residential buildings
27

Indoor Air Contaminants

Chemical contaminants
(a) Carbon monoxide
(b) Formaldehyde
(c) Ozone
(d) Respirable particulates

Acceptable Limits
ppm

mg/m3

cfu/m3

10
0.1
0.05
3

0.15

(e) Total volatile organic

compounds (TVOC)

Biological contaminants
(a) Total bacterial counts
500*
For chemical
contaminants,
thecounts
limits are eight-hour time-weighted
(b) Total
fungal
- average airborne
- concentrations
500*
3

mg/m is milligrams per cubic meter of air at 25 Celsius and one atmosphere pressure
ppm is parts of vapour or gas per million parts of contaminated air by volume
cfu/m3 is colony forming units per cubic meter
* excess of bacterial counts does not necessarily imply health risk but serve as an indicator for further investigation
C is the ceiling limit that shall not be exceeded at any time. Readings above 1000ppm are indication of inadequate
ventilation.
28

 Assessment Report
The assessment report prepared by an
assessor shall include: description of assessment and sampling methods;
identification of potential sources of indoor air problems;
the measurement results for the specific physical
parameters as listed in Table 1 and contaminants listed
in Table 2;
the condition of the ventilation system, including the
number of air changes per hour and the rate of fresh air
changes;
health complaints as well as signs and symptoms
perceived to be related to IAQ problem;
conclusion of the assessment; and
recommendations to improve IAQ.
29

CONTROL OF
INDOOR AIR
QUALITY

30

Duty To Control Exposure

The building owner or building management shall:

maintain the working environment conforming to the acceptable

range as specified in Table 1.

Where the assessment report indicates that the IAQ

is unacceptable, building owner or building
management shall initiate to implement any of the
measures within 1 month after receiving the report.

For any air conditioning system including air-cooled

split unit, the building owner or building
management or employer shall ensure the provision
for adequate fresh air ventilation such as:

the use of Demand Control Ventilation (DCV);

extractor; or
by other suitable means.
31

Microbial contamination
Building owner or building management shall regularly
inspect:
ductwork,
dehumidifiers,
cooling coils,
filters,
internal building surfaces, and
and any other MVAC system components.
Inspect at least every 6 month where there is reasonably
likely that standing water will unintentionally accumulate
and which could reasonably cause microbial growth.
Where there are reasonably cause microbial growth, the
building owner or building management shall promptly remove the water; and
make necessary repairs to prevent further accumulation.

32

Inspection & Maintenance of

MVAC
The schedule of maintenance for the
MVAC system shall be in accordance
with the manufacturer's
recommendations to ensure that the
equipment operate efficiently.
If not specified, the frequencies shall
constitute the minimum requirements
as follows;
33

Continue

Continue
After the 1st year of operation and at least every 2
years thereafter, the MVAC system shall be checked and
adjusted to ensure correct air flow, temperature and humidity.
Also shall be check and adjusted if any renovations or
changes in floor layout that might affect air distribution.
It shall also be checked and adjusted after any renovations or
changes in floor layout that might affect air distribution.
The building owner or building management is recommended
to use non-chemical water treatment for cooling tower. But if
biocides are used, the dosing shall carried out as per
manufacturer recommendation.
Records shall be kept of all maintenance.

Control For Prescribed Activities

The
building
owner
or
building
management or employer shall ensure that
adequate work procedures and control are
used during prescribed activities which may
includes but not limited to

the use of approved PPE;

sealing of the area where prescribed activities is
carried out;
displaying signage to warn about hazard associated
with prescribed activities;
safe work procedures;
using portable exhaust system; or
administrative control measures such as carry out
prescribed activities not during working hours.

Prevention & Control For

Renovation Work

Where there is renovation, the building owner or building

management shall not use materials contain any toxic substances.

Highly recommended to use low VOC emission materials.

For occupied buildings undergoing partial renovation:

spaces to be renovated should be effectively isolated from
occupied zones;
supply air should be separated so that acceptable IAQ for
occupants is maintained.

the
the

Any major renovation to the building where the air-conditioning

system has been affected (e.g. by partitioning of office space):
rebalancing of the air distribution shall be required.

Pest Control

The need to use pesticides in non-commercial buildings shall be

minimised, as far as practicable.

by caulking and plastering cracks and crevices, improving sanitation

and waste management, and physical measures to keep pests at bay.

Pesticide spraying shall be carried out:

by licensed pest control operator as stipulated under Pesticides (Pest

Control Operator) Rules 2004; and

outside normal working hours, and preferably during the weekends.

Occupants in areas to be sprayed shall be notified in advance to

avoid any unnecessary exposure. Pesticides shall be applied in
targeted locations, with minimum treatment of exposed
surfaces.

If hydrogen cyanide is used, the building owner or building

management shall comply Hydrogen Cyanide (Fumigation) Act 1953
(Revised-1981) [Act 260].

The building management or other person who organises the

pest control activities should have information on the chemical
identities and the potential health hazards that available from
SDS.
39

Housekeeping & Cleaning

Housekeeping is important in preventing IAQ problems
as it keeps dust levels down and removes dirt which
could otherwise become sources of contamination.
The cleaning schedule shall be arranged with
reference to occupancy patterns and activity levels.
Daily cleaning of surfaces and steam vacuuming of
floors is advisable for areas with high traffic or which
are in constant use during the day.
When chemical based cleaning agents are used, SDSs
on the cleaning agents should be available to the
building manager and other occupants.

40

 Environment
Smoking (ETS)

Tobacco

Tobacco smoking is prohibited in many public

areas as stipulated under:
Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 [P.U.
(A)324/2004];
Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (Amendment)
2008; and
Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (Amendment)
2009;

In all indoor areas which are not covered by

the Tobacco Product Regulations 2004,
smoking should also be prohibited as far as
practicable in order to achieve good indoor
air quality standard.
41

INFORMATION,
INSTRUCTION
& TRAINING

Information

An employer shall ensure that all his employees

are:

Informed on causes of poor indoor air quality and the adverse

effects to health arising from it;
complaints procedure;
detrimental effects from environmental tobacco
smoke and its contribution to the overall indoor
air quality;
modification or improvement to the poor
ventilation system at the work station, if any; and
findings of the assessment.

Continue

Instruction

Given an instruction but not limited to the following prohibition of smoking except at designated
area(s);
not to tamper with MVAC system;
not to store material/chemical or equipment inside
AHU room or ducting;
ensure fresh air intake is not blocked at any time or
contaminated with undesirable and hazardous
elements; and
to inform the employer of any discomfort related to
indoor air quality.
44

Continue

Training

Trained on contents of this ICOP;

identification of sign and symptoms associated with the
illnesses commonly associated with poor IAQ; and
identification of poor ventilation conditions and signs of
deterioration in the air-conditioned or mechanical
ventilation system.

The training programme shall be reviewed and

conducted at least once in two years.

The training programme shall be documented and kept for

inspection.

RECORD
KEEPING

Keeping of Records

All records shall be kept for not < than 5 years.

Assessment report shall be kept not < than 30 years.

When the building owner, building management or employer

ceases to carry on business and no person succeeds him, they shall
transmit the records required to to the DG.

At the expiration of the retention period for the records required to

be maintained the building owner, building management or
employer shall give the DG at least 3 months notice in writing that
he intends to dispose of such records, and he shall transmit those
records to the Director General, if requested within that period.

Records to be kept include complaint records;

investigation reports;
assessment reports including the results of indoor air
contaminant measurement; and
training records.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE
AND TRAINING
Must possess the following qualifications, experience and training

a registered assessor under the USECHH Regulations 2000 who has attended
training in indoor air quality assessment conducted by recognised training
providers and passed the examination conducted by NIOSH; or
a registered hygiene technician I under the USECHH Regulations 2000 who
has attended training in indoor air quality assessment conducted by
recognised training providers and passed the examination conducted by
NIOSH; or
a person with at least a Diploma in pure or applied sciences and has 1 year
experience in occupational hygiene measurement of airborne chemical and
has attended training in indoor air quality assessment conducted by
recognised training providers and passed the examination conducted by
NIOSH; or
any other person with equivalent IAQ competency as recognised by the
relevant authority.

 Appendix 1 General Information on IAQ

Appendix 4 Measurement & Analysis IAQ Par
ameters

49

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR

GOOD IAQ?
INCREASE AWARENESS
REPORT POTENTIAL
PROBLEMS PROMPTLY
CLEAN UP AND DRY OUT
WATER INTRUSION
PROMPTLY
PROPERLY MAINTAIN
EXISTING SYSTEMS
CLEAN UP YOUR MESS
USE AVAILABLE
RESOURCES
WORK SAFELY FOR YOUR
SAKE AND OTHERS
AROUND YOU

MORE YOU CAN DO? YES!

ALL PERSONNEL SHOULD BE EDUCATED ON WHAT TO SAY

AND WHAT NOT TO SAY TO OCCUPANTS.
BUILDINGS DONT GET SICK PEOPLE DO

MANAGEMENT, DISPATCHERS AND SERVICE TECHNICIANS

SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO COMMENTS MADE BY
OCCUPANTS.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS SHOULD BE
PROPERLY EDUCATED ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR, HOW AND
WHO TO REPORT PROBLEMS TO.
UNDERSTAND PROPER HVAC HYGIENE & HYGIENE
PROCEDURES.

IAQ SUCCESS!
EVERYBODY PLAY AN
IMPORTANT PART IN
CONTROLLING THE INDOOR
ENVIRONMENT OF OTHERS
IN THIS REGARD WE ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR
EVERYBODYS HEALTH AND
WELL BEING. SO BE
RESPONSIBLE!
IF YOU ARE NOT PART OF
THE SOLUTION, YOU ARE
PART OF THE PROBLEM

THANK YOU

THIS IS THE 1ST PART OF

SLIDES ON IAQ.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO
CONTINUE WITH THE
2ND PART OF SLIDES OR
YOU CAN SIMPLY STOP