Poor indoor air quality can impact the health and wellbeing of your building's occupants. This slide deck runs through the key factors that need to be considered when implementing an indoor air quality risk management plan.

1. Indoor Air Quality
Risk Management
Plan (IAQMP)
HOW TO MANAGE THE HEALTH RISKS OF BUILDING
OCCUPANTS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR AIR QUALITY.

2. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Background
HVAC Systems Hygiene Audits. AC14 Task Description
Repeated identified hygiene issues led to creating HVAC Hygiene Management Plans
These plans included;
• Meeting and harmonising the inspection requirements of standards like AS/NZS 3666.2
and Queensland Health Task Descriptions AC01, AC02, AC03, AC04, AC07, AC12, AC13,
AC14, AC15, AC20, AC22.
• Clearly defined and standardised hygiene rating and hygiene critical limits based on the
industry guideline – AIRAH Best Practice: HVAC Hygiene,
• Training of maintenance staff or contractors and assessment of competency.
For air quality management there are other factors to consider…
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3. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
What is the Purpose of an IAQMP?
• Minimise the health risk of staff, visitors and patients to exposure of
foreseeable air-related hazards,
• Identifying indoor air quality infection control risks before they
become problematic,
• Prescribe appropriate responses to any identified air quality hazards,
• Comply with relevant standards, legislation and guidelines including
workplace health and safety regulations,
• Assists in preparing budgets and planning for major maintenance
projects for plant involved with air quality control
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4. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Key components of an indoor
quality risk management plan
1. Policy statement
2. Scope
3. Objectives
4. Roles and responsibilities
5. Hazards and hazard sources
6. Risk assessment associated with the hazards
7. Air monitoring
8. Action plan
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5. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Relevant Standards, Guidelines, Policies?
Including:
• Queensland: Work Health and Safety Act
• Queensland Health Task Descriptions AC01, AC02, AC03, AC04, AC07, AC12, AC13, AC14, AC15,
AC20, AC22.
• Queensland Health Centre for Healthcare Related Infection Surveillance and Prevention
(CHRISP) program
• AS 1668.2 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings Mechanical ventilation in
buildings
• AS/NZS 3666.2,3 & 4 Air-handling and water systems of buildings – Microbial Control …. Air
handlers & Cooling water systems maintenance
• Queensland Health Asbestos Management Guideline
• EH52: 2011 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines
• AS/NZS 3896:2008, Waters - Examination for Legionella spp. including Legionella pneumophila
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6. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Who is currently responsible?
• Building Engineering Maintenance Services
• Preventative and Corrective Maintenance Staff and Contractors
• Health and Safety
• Infection Control
• Facility Management
• Health District (multi site) Organisations
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7. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
How do we minimise health risks of
occupants to air quality hazards?
1. IDENTIFICATION
(OUTDOORS)
The management of
air quality hazards
starts outside the
building.
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8. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
How do we minimise health risks of
occupants to air quality hazards?
After the air has entered the building one the biggest contributors to the air quality will be the
air conditioning and exhaust systems (HVAC), including filtration. These systems can effect air
quality both through performance and hygiene.
Other indoor factors include;
• Occupant activity
• Occupancy levels
• Occupant health (i.e.. Communicable illnesses)
• Cleanliness of the spaces
• Maintenance practices (e.g. cleaning, painting, repairs or refurbishment works)
• Space and adjoining space uses (e.g. isolation rooms, waste or cleaning chemicals
storage)
• Materials and furnishings present (i.e.. VOC producing)
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1. IDENTIFICATION (OUTDOORS)

9. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
How do we minimise health risks of
occupants to air quality hazards?
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2. ESTABLISH
PREVENTATIVE
CONTROLS

10. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Preventative Maintenance Records
• Standardiising maintenance report findings.
• Accurately identifying air quality hazards and nominating them to be
actioned.
• Assists in preparing budgets and planning for major projects
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11. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
AIRAH Best
Practice Guidelines
Defines hygiene levels and the minimal acceptable
system hygiene standards for general use and
special use HVAC systems.
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CLEAN LIGHT HEAVY
High Levels of visible dust, debris, fibres or any
other contamination that cover the component.
Component surface is barely if not at all visible
beneath the contamination.
MODERATE
Visible levels of general dust with varying
density and limited areas of accumulated fine
debris. Component surface is still visible in
some areas beneath the fine dust but isolated
sections may not be.
Only slight visible layer of fine general dust
consistent over the component surface with no
variations in density. Component surface remains
visible beneath the fine layer of dust.
No visible dust, debris or other contamination

12. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
HVAC TRAINING - MONTHLY
Mould awareness
Standards and guidelines
How to take a photo of category 3 contamination and above,
How to conduct the inspections and where we normally find contamination,
Action levels and the overall content of this Indoor Air Quality Management plan,
How to use the service sheet,
Evaporative coolers
HVAC Audit Program
AIRAH Best Practice Guidelines
Classifying systems
TECHNICAL
TRAINING
All mechanical technicians shall
complete the HVAC hygiene training
where they will be taught to
recognize various hygiene levels and
correctly rate the AHU and its
internal components on a monthly
basis.
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13. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Preventative Maintenance Records
• Standardising maintenance report findings.
• Accurately identifying air quality hazards and nominating them to be
actioned.
• Maintaining historical records that could identify a systemic cause for
reoccurring hygiene issues.
• Assists in preparing budgets and planning for major projects.
• Demonstrates responsible hazard risk management.
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14. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKS
To be conducted by Indoor Air Quality Scientist.
The purpose of the Quality Assurance inspections is to make sure that the ratings of the
AHUs and internal components which are conducted on a monthly basis are actually correct
10% randomly selected per building and technician on a quarterly basis.
10% of non-critical annual audits per building and technician once annually.
The technician to accompany the scientist during the quality audit.
HVAC Audit Program
AIRAH Best Practice Guidelines
Classifying systems
QUALITY
ASSURANCE
The outcome of the QA audit
summary report will be:
• Instigate further technician training
if required
• Be stored for annual performance
review HVAC technicians
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15. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Other Preventative Maintenance Reporting
• Operating Theatres, Sterile Stores, CSD (HEPA Filters, air change rates, pressure
differentials, particle counts)
• Isolation rooms (HEPA Filters, pressure differentials)
• Cooling Towers
• Water quality monitoring
• Occupied space general indoor air quality audits (temperature, humidity, airborne
microbials, total volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,
airborne particulates.
• Occupied space specific air quality exposure monitoring (e.g. formaldehyde,
anesthetics gases, airborne silica dust)
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16. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
How do we minimise health risks of
occupants to air quality hazards?
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3. QUANTIFYING
THE RISK

17. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Reactive Works
Procedures
• further investigation
• corrective actions
Responsibilities
• Internal
• External - contractors
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18. Opira Pty Ltd – IHEA Annual Meeting 2019
IAQ Risk Management Planning
Review
• Scheduled annual review of outcomes.
• Summary of non-preventable and preventable events and analysis of
reactive works.
• Survey from all stakeholders for their experience with the Indoor Air Quality
Management Plan?
• Continued….
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19. INDOOR ENVIRONMENT RISK MANAGEMENT
Thank You.