Indoor Air Quality University of South Carolina Upstate Up is where we live. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Awareness Training 2 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) • Indoor Air Quality refers to the nature of air that affects the health and well-being of the individuals occupying a particular space. • IAQ issues can occur in any enclosed environment, at home, at work, in a restaurant, or a crowded subway car. We are constantly interacting with the air in these spaces. • Air contaminants can get into our body through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion and contact through wounds causing harm Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Awareness • Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors • People may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for long periods of time • ALL reports of poor IAQ must be responded to and taken seriously! 4 Procedures for IAQ • Keep gas-powered equipment outside of the building. Prevent exhaust from entering the building through open doors, windows, or fresh air intake vents. • Provide a means of exhausting construction/maintenance contaminants out of the building, ensuring that the exhaust is not contaminating occupied areas through open doors, windows, or fresh air intakes. Procedures for IAQ • Clean equipment outside of the building where vapors from solvents, degreasers, or other chemical solutions will not contaminate occupied areas. Cleaning operations should not stain exterior surfaces, harm existing landscape vegetation, or pollute drainage systems. Facts about Mold • Mold can be found almost anywhere, outdoors and indoors. • Molds reproduce by making spores, which drift through the air continually. • Spores land on a damp spot with a food source and grow! • All molds can cause health problems! – Molds produce allergens that can trigger allergic or asthmatic reactions in people who have mold allergies. – Irritation of the respiratory system and eyes in non-allergic people. – Some molds can cause lung infections in individuals with weakened immune systems (very rare) • The way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture. 7 • You may now finish this safety training tutorial by completing the OSHA Assessment Quiz..