The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Indoor Environmental Evaluation Experience. Part One: Building Environmental Evaluations

Abstract

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been conducting nonindustrial indoor environmental health hazard evaluations since 1971. Due to an overwhelming number of indoor environmental requests (814) in fiscal year 1993, NIOSH conducted a project in which building and environmental data were gathered in 105 office buildings. The collected information documented the condition and current indoor environmental status of the buildings and their mechanical systems. Building deficiencies thought to affect the indoor environment in these buildings were categorized into eight groups. The predominant categories of building problems were heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning design, operation, and maintenance, and facility maintenance. Indoor environmental measurement of carbon dioxide showed that average concentrations were less than 800 parts per million (ppm) in 71 percent of the buildings, between 800 and 1000 ppm in 17 percent, and greater than 1000 ppm in 12 percent. This is part one of a three-part reporting of this project. Part two will present a description of the medical evaluation, and part three will present statistical analyses to determine any associations between building environmental factors and reported medical findings.