Best Practices: Indoor Air Quality System
Besides having a well-defined IAQ system, we at PBC follow certain practices/rules that help us in maintaining a world class IAQ in our building. We have benefited from these practices; the results show higher productivity and fewer occupant sick days. These practices can be further improved upon.
IAQ Best Practices at PBC
- Smoking / Eating is allowed only in designated areas not connected to centrally air conditioned space.
- Elevator Area & building envelope are sealed to avoid any untreated air ingress.
- There are air curtains at all entrances into the building.
- To check spread of communicable diseases like active TB, occupants are tested. Visitors are not as it is not practical to do so.
- Door handles, telephones, elevator buttons etc are sanitized on a daily basis.
- Hand sanitizers are placed in all the washrooms and at relevant areas.
- Everyone entering the building is requested to wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizers.
- All housekeeping chemicals used in the building are Green Seal Certified.
- Tight vacuuming of the carpet and upholstery is carried out on daily basis. The dust collected is measured and monitored.
- The outdoor mats are kept moist for increased dust removing efficiency.
- The carpet tiles placed in all the rooms are CRI Green label plus and are shampooed on weekly basis or as required.
- 30 feet entry way system (doormat) from 3M Company, removes most of the dust from shoes at the building entrance.
- The paint and polish is done only during the weekends using eco friendly, lead free and low VOC paint and polish.
- Building is flushed as per requirement after any paint work.
- All incoming parcels and courier packets are received outside the building and only brought inside after cleaning.
The need of the hour is to look at clean and environment friendly construction technologies and this must set the tone of the agenda for the new government. The government must ensure that all new construction, at least all government buildings in the country, is green, and effectively demonstrates the benefits to the private sector.
