R-Zero Blog for New Health Standards

Fast-Tracking a Landmark Commitment to Standardizing Indoor Health Quality.

Blog Written By Dylan Jones

Fast-Tracking a Landmark Commitment to Standardize Indoor Health Quality.

With the announcement of ASHRAE’s commitment to support the development

of a national indoor air quality (IAQ) pathogen mitigation standards within six

months, the stage is set for creating safer indoor spaces for everyone.

Rising to the Challenge of Improving IAQ

There’s no shortage of evidence to suggest that indoor air quality (IAQ) has a

substantial impact on public health. Recent EPA studies found indoor air

pollutant levels were generally 2 to 5 times greater than outdoor pollution levels,

and a YouGov study of the workplace found that 70% of o

that bad air quality adversely a

ce workers complain

ects their health. Combine this with the fact that

OSHA’s standards for workplace indoor air quality have remained stagnant for

nearly three decades, the need for a standardized, consensus-based code is long-

overdue.

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Raising the Standards on Indoor Air

Taking the lead from the National

Quality with Global Expertise

COVID -19 Preparedness Plan and the

EPA’s clean air in buildings challenge, Founded in 1894, the American

Society of Heating, Refrigerating and

Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE),

is a global professional society

committed to advancing the arts and

sciences of heating ventilation, air

conditioning, refrigeration. The

aggressive, six-month timeline in

setting new standards comes in the

wake of new COVID-

the alarming rise in

outbreaks and

u and respiratory

illness (R.S.V) threating a winter

tripledemic.

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this accelerated commitment, led by a

team of global experts, is designed to

provide organizations of all sizes with

broad-reaching guidance and best

practices for pathogen mitigation.

With these new guidelines in place,

jurisdictions, facility managers, and

building owners will be armed with

reputable and a non-biased source for

guidance and science-based building

standards.

Better Indoor Air Quality, Better

Quality of Life.

Too often IQA is afterthought, not

viewed as basic cornerstone of

wellness. However, the side e

ects of

unhealthful air have a profound

impact on a company’s bottom line.

The National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration estimates

that companies are impacted by $ 93

billion lost productivity from

headaches, fatigue, and irritation

associated with sick building

syndrome. Schools also feel the

impact of poor IAQ and face some

special challenges providing healthy

indoor air for sta

and children: rooms

are crowed, with a much as four times

the occupancy of o

ce buildings, and

school budgets are often tight,

a

ecting maintenance and proper

cleaning practice. Increasing reports of

asthma among school age children

have been directly linked to unhealthy

classroom air, and children on average

miss 14 days of schooling a year due

to asthma and related health issues.

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UVC – Beyond Ventilation and

The tools available for improving IAQ

Filtration

are well known, with proper

ventilation being a key one. Also

adding air puri

ers, updating HVAC

system, and indoor plants can help

improve IAQ.

While all of these solutions provide

solid

rst layer of defence against

airborne pathogens, UVC technology

goes even further.

As a sustainable, e

ective disinfection

solution, UV-C can play a key role in a

layered strategy for achieving indoor

environmental quality.

UVC technology is a type of light that

has a short wavelength able to kill

germs and bacteria in the air. This

makes it e

ective for improving indoor

air quality, as it can help to reduce the

presence of potentially harmful

microorganisms. Integrating UVC

technology as the next layer of

defence is a powerful tool for

improving indoor air quality and

reducing the spread of germs and

bacteria.

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As ASHRAE develops out the much-needed IAQ guidelines in the next six months,

integrating UVC technology is a sure way to get ahead of the game and prepare

buildings, facilities, and schools for cleaner, safer indoor air.

R-Zero’s UVC ecosystem are incredibly e

ective at inactivating airborne virus and

bacteria and provide a perfect complement to HVAC ventilation in high-risk areas.

UVC disinfection tools are becoming the standard in enhancing air quality in

buildings. The R-Zero platform can also be up and running in a matter of days—

signi

cantly faster than installing a new

lter and magnitudes faster than

revamping an entire HVAC system.

Bottom line: an investment in clean indoor air will pay dividends well into the

future, both monetary and health wise.

For more information visit https://rzero.com

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