3. INTRODUCTION
Increased concern regarding indoor air quality
More time spent indoors-up to 90%?
New building more insulated
Levels of certain pollutants significantly higher than outdoor
VOCs, pesticides, by products of combustion
Widespread use of synthetic materials and chemicals
Toxicological data on most of them are limited
Good IAQ is not solely about comfort but also about
prevention of building related diseases and diseases from
environmental tobacco smoke
4. WHAT IS INDOOR AIR QUALITY?
IAQ refers to
•The air quality within
BUILDING and around buildings SICK
RELATED and structures, BUILDING
ILLNESSES especially as it relates SYNDROME
to the health and
comfort of building
occupants
CHRONIC DISEASES
5. 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)
6. BUILDING RELATED ILLNESSES
Less often, but often more serious & are
accompanied by very definite clinical signs & clear
laboratory findings
Hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis,
Humidifier fever,
Asthma, Rhinitis,
Dermatitis
Infections
Legionnaire’s disease and Pontiac fever
Tuberculosis (TB),
Common cold
7. Legionnaires’ Disease & Pontiac Fever
Diseases of the respiratory system
Result of an infection of legionella bacteria hence
disease is described as legionellosis
Legionnaires’ disease is the more severe form of infection
which includes pneumonia
Pontiac fever is a milder illness, causing flu-like symptoms
without pneumonia
8. CHRONIC DISEASES
Lung cancer
Radon*
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
Mesothelioma
Asbestos
*Radon is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, naturally
occurring, radioactive noble gas.
It is considered to be a health hazard because it is
radioactive.
Radon is produced by radioactive decay of uranium that
is present in rocks, soils, brick and concrete.
It is reportedly the second most frequent cause of lung
cancer, after cigarette smoking.
9. INDOOR AIR QUALITY ISSUES
Results of studies by US NIOSH in 1990
(more than 500 buildings investigated)
Inadequate ventilation 52%
Indoor contaminant sources 16%
Outdoor contamination 10%
Microorganisms 5%
Contamination from fabrics/ 4%
building materials
Unknown sources 13%
10. IAQ ISSUES IN MALAYSIA
Mouldy building/offices Cold offices
High humidity Low temperatures
Pipe burst/leakage Chemical emissions
Flooding Off-gassing from building
Smoking indoors materials
Offices Split unit air-conditioners
Restaurants Fresh air lacking
Designated areas
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11. BACKGROUND
Concerns for exposure to secondhand smoke
led to a COP on indoor air quality in 2005
Compliance with the 2005 COP on Indoor
Air Quality is voluntary
However, Industry code of practice (ICOP) is
a legal instrument provided for under
Occupational Safety & Health Act 1994
OSHA-general duty of an employer and also
building owner to ensure the safety and
without risk to health of employees and
anyone at a place of work
12. GENERAL DUTIES UNDER OSHA1994
Section15:
Employer shall ensure, as far as practicable, the safety, health
and welfare at work for all his employees (including
contractors and his employees)
Section 17:
Employer shall ensure that he and other persons, not his
employees, are not exposed to risks to their safety and health
Section 18
Occupier (a person who has the management of control of the
place of work) of non-domestic premises shall take such
measures that are practicable to ensure premises are safe and
without risk to health to persons using the premises and any
plant or substance in the premises or provided for use there
13. BACKGROUND
The COP need to be reviewed
5 years elapsed
Limitations of COP
Limitation of the COP
Does not apply to workplace using
split air-conditioning system
Only cover 5 chemical pollutants
Does not include temperature, air
flow and humidity
Does not address bacteria or mould
issues
Too dependent on assessors
14. Gazette of ICOP IAQ 2010
Approved by Y.B.
Minister on 30th August
2010
Gazetted under
subsection 37(4)
OSHA
P.U. (B) 29/2011
Code of Practice on
Indoor Air Quality
terbatal
15. CONTENT OF new ICOP ON IAQ 2010
Application of ICOP
Dealing with complaints
Investigating IAQ Problems
Control of IAQ
Information, instruction and training
Recordkeeping
Appendices
16. APPLICATION OF ICOP
Any area/part of Domestic
building where buildings
chemicals Applies to all
hazardous to buildings or any
health are used
for analytical, part of building or
research or totally enclosed
preservation areas served by
purposes MVAC including Any area or any
air-cooled split part of the
building which is
Removal and unit where constructed,
disposal of persons work used or intended
asbestos EXCEPT to be used for
containing domestic or
materials industrial
purposes
17. Complaints Procedure
The Building Owner
or Building
Management shall
Establish a Ensure that an
procedure to deal investigation is
with complaint conducted to
from employer and ascertain the
occupants related cause, upon
to signs and receipt of
symptoms
perceived to be due complaint.
to IAQ
Appendix 2 - sample of IAQ Complaint Form
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18. Complaint procedures shall include:
Procedures for receiving and dealing with complaints
Description of the process or processes for response to a
complaint
Regular reviews of complaints by the occupant
Identification of individuals responsible for administering
the complaint process
Procedures for communicating any remedial action to the
complainant; and
Follow-up procedures to ensure that the remedial action
recommended
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19. Investigation of IAQ Problem:
Duty to investigate whenever..
Renovations are Occupancy in the
made that involve space exceeds the
significant changes to recommended
the ventilation number of
system e.g. occupancy in the
room without supply original design
or return air
Complaints
received
Building Owner or Building Management
20. Receive indoor air quality
IAQ Complaints & complaints
Investigation Process
Communicate to building owner
or building management
(Appendix 3)
Conduct walkthrough inspection
Is there
YES
Notify complainant an obvious solution
for the complaints
?
NO
Rectify problem or Conduct IAQ assessment
implement the
recommended solution
Present Assessment Report to
occupier and/or building owner
Follow-up to make sure
the problem does not Record keeping
recur
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21. Walkthrough Inspection
Provides basic information on factors affecting IAQ
Walkthrough activities-
Collect information about history of building and
ventilation system;
Collect previous record of IAQ complaints;
Notify 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.
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22. Assessment of IAQ By IAQ Assessor
Carried out during normal business activity and
must consider:-
sources of indoor air contaminants;
an occupant’s exposure to ETS;
an occupant’s exposure to air contaminants, either from
indoor or outdoor sources;
prescribed activities*;
adequacy of mechanical ventilation at the place of work;
and
necessary actions to be taken to improve the IAQ.
* Any activity that could pose health hazard to the
occupants, e.g. painting and cleaning carpets
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23. Assessment of IAQ By IAQ Assessor
Assessment to include:-
Measurement of specific physical parameters listed in Table 1;
Measurement of indoor air contaminants listed in Table 2;
Walkthrough inspection
Symptom survey
Sample questionnaire provided in Appendix.
IAQ assessor shall present and submit the assessment
report to the building owner or building management
within 1 month upon completion of the assessment.
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24. Table 1:
Acceptable Range for Specific Physical Parameters
Parameter Acceptable range
(a) Air temperature 23 – 26 oC
(b) Relative humidity 40-70%
(c) Air movement 0.15 – 0.50 m/s
•Reference MS 1525 : 2001
•Code of practice on energy efficiency and renewable energy for
non-residential buildings
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25. Table 2: List of Indoor Air Contaminants and
ACCEPTABLE Limits
Acceptable Limits
Indoor Air Contaminants
ppm mg/m3 cfu/m3
Chemical contaminants*
1.Carbon monoxide 10 - -
2.Formaldehyde 0.1 - -
3.Ozone 0.05 - -
4.Respirable particulates - 0.15 -
5.Total volatile organic compounds(TVOC) 3 - -
Biological contaminants
1.Total bacterial counts - - 500*
2.Total fungal counts - - 1000*
Ventilation performance indicator
1.Carbon dioxide C1000** - -
*Limits are eight-hour time-weighted average airborne concentrations
•mg/m3 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
**C is the ceiling limit that shall not be exceeded at any time.
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26. CARBON MONOXIDE
Combustion product
Automobile exhaust, smoking, unvented
combustion appliances
Asphyxiant
The standard is set to provide a
margin of safety for people with
cardiovascular disease
27. FORMALDEHYDE
It is a VOC,
used in bonding/laminating agents, adhesives, paper & textile
products, and in foam insulation
Also used in cosmetics & toiletries as preservative
New buildings, re-carpeting, ETS
Levels exceeding 1-3ppm cause mucous membrane irritation
Suspected carcinogen
Level set for comfortable environment
28. OZONE
Colourless gas
Produced in ambient air during photochemical oxidation
of combustion products such as nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbon
Ozone concentration set at 0.05ppm to prevent
symptoms such as dryness of upper respiratory tract and
throat and nose irritation
29. RESPIRABLE PARTICULATES
Less than 10 micron in diameter
Sources are ETS, aerosols from air fresheners or cleaning
material
Other sources
dirt from carpets or
dirt carried in from outdoor
Outdoor sources such as from haze
Levels set as for outdoor air
30. VOCs
Human bioeffluents, personal care products, cleaning materials,
paints, lacquer, varnishes, pesticides, pressed wood products,
and insulation
Accumulation of VOCs play a major role in SBS
Some VOC such as benzene is carcinogenic
Level to prevent discomfort
31. CARBON DIOXIDE
Product of combustion
Human respiration & ETS
It is an asphyxiant
At concentrations (>30,000ppm) may cause headache, loss of
judgment, dizziness, drowsiness, and rapid breathing
Level set to indicate adequacy of ventilation rates or indicative
of inadequate mixing.
32. MOULDS
Fungi that grow on dead organic matter and reproduce
through tiny spores, invisible to naked eye, and float through
outdoor and indoor air.
Mould may begin growing indoors when mould spores land on
surfaces that are wet.
Mould growth can lead to a variety of health issues, such as
causing allergic reactions, irritations, and in some cases, toxic
actions.
Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as
sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).
Standard set for humidity and temperature is for comfort and
to prevent mould growth
33. BACTERIA
Microscopic organisms found in indoor
environments typically come from
human sources (skin and respiration)
or from the outdoors.
Bacteria found in the air in buildings are
Legionella Pneumophila
saprobes (grow on dead organic
matter) and the primary concern is
about bacteria colonies that may grow
in damp areas.
34. Microbial contamination
BO/BM to regularly inspect:
ductwork,
dehumidifiers,
cooling coils,
filters,
internal building surfaces, and
any other MVAC system components.
Inspect every 6 month where it is likely that standing
water will unintentionally accumulate and which could
reasonably cause microbial growth; and take action to
promptly remove the water; and
make necessary repairs to prevent further accumulation.
34
35. Duty To Control Exposure
BO/BM shall:
maintain working environment conforming to acceptable
range specified in Table 1.
Where assessment indicates that IAQ is unacceptable,
BO/BM shall initiate to implement any of the control
measures within 1 month after receiving report.
For any air conditioning system including air-cooled split unit,
BO/BM 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.
35 DCV
37. Inspection & Maintenance of MVAC
Maintenance schedule for MVAC system as per manufacturer's
recommendations to ensure that the equipment operate efficiently.
If not specified, follow these frequencies and activities:
At least every 6
At all time At least every month
months
• Ensure filters perform • Clean the water • Inspect the building
properly and do not trays to ensure that and its MVAC
become clogged. no contaminants system.
• Regularly check build up. • Clean components
cooling coils, of air-handling units
condensate pipes & such as fans and
water trays for sign of dampers.
sludge, algae, rust, • Clean coils and
blockage & leak. condensate pipes
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38. Continue..
MVAC system to be checked and adjusted to ensure correct
air flow, temperature and humidity.
• After1st year of operation and at least every 2 years
• After any renovations or changes in floor layout that might
affect air distribution.
Use of non-chemical water treatment for cooling tower-
recommended
If biocides are used, the dosing shall carried out as per
manufacturer recommendation.
Records shall be kept of all maintenance.
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39. Control For Prescribed Activities
BO/BM/E to ensure adequate work procedures and control
are used during prescribed activities which may include-
use of approved PPE;
sealing of 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.
39
40. Prevention & Control For Renovation
Work
BO/BM 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.
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.
40
41. Pest Control
Minimise use of pesticides in non-commercial buildings.
Pesticide spraying shall be carried out:
by licensed pest control operator and
outside normal working hours, and preferably during the
weekends.
Occupants in areas to be sprayed shall be notified in
advance.
Pesticides applied in targeted locations, with minimum
treatment of exposed surfaces.
If hydrogen cyanide is used, BO/BM to comply with
Hydrogen Cyanide (Fumigation) Act 1953 (Rev.1981).
BM or other person who organises pest control
activities should have info on chemicals (SDS).
41
42. Housekeeping & Cleaning
Housekeeping keeps dust levels down and removes dirt
which could otherwise become sources of contamination.
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.
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43. Environment Tobacco Smoking (ETS)
Tobacco smoking is prohibited in many public area 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.
43
44. Information
Employer shall ensure that all employees are
informed on:
causes of poor indoor air quality and the adverse
effects to health arising from it;
complaints procedure;
detrimental effects from ETS 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.
44
45. Instruction
Employer to give instructions but not limited to-
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.
45
46. Training
Employees to be trained on-
contents of 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.
Training programme to be reviewed and conducted at least
once in two years.
Training programme to be documented and kept for
inspection.
46
47. Recordkeeping
All records shall be kept for not less than 5 years.
Assessment report shall be kept for not less than 30
years.
Records kept to include -
complaint records;
investigation reports;
assessment reports including the results of indoor
air contaminant measurement; and
training records.
47
48. Qualifications, experience & training as a
registered IAQ Assessor
a registered assessor or hygiene technician I under USECHH
who has attended training in IAQ assessment conducted by
recognised training providers and passed 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 and has
attended training in IAQ assessment conducted by recognised
training providers and passed examination conducted by
NIOSH; or
any other person with equivalent IAQ competency as
recognised by the relevant authority.
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49. APPENDICES
Appendix 1
GENERAL INFORMATION ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Appendix 2
INDOOR AIR QUALITY COMPLAINT FORM
Appendix 3
IAQ COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATION PROCESS
Appendix 3-A
CHECKLIST FOR WALKTHROUGH INSPECTION
Appendix 3-B
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR BUILDING OCCUPANTS
Appendix 4
MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS OF IAQ PARAMETERS
49
