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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ANSI standards reminder Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 21:59:47 -0400 Author: Peter Zavon |
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Ralph, That probably is not much of a problem. These issues are addressed in the ACGIH's Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice. And since this is updated about every three years and goes far deeper into all of these subjects by laying the entire technical groundwork for the principles of industrial ventilation, it makes sense for AIHA to engage in other activities.
I only wish ASHRAE would do the same. They are tinkering around with standards for fume hoods and other industrial designs that are, in my opinion, not up to snuff.
What is interesting is that ASHRAE didn't always do this. In the 80s and 90s, their standards such as ASHRAE 62 on indoor air quality, specifically referred to this ACGIH manual. Then slowly the reference was more and more buried until it is now a foot note to a table and a reference to "other standards" for Class 4 industrial air.
Even worse, ASHRAE did again exactly what they did in the energy crisis in the 1970s: they deduced minimum fresh air requirements. After the "sick building" issues were seen in the 70s and 80s, the standards changed and remained pretty much the same until ASHRAE 62-2004 when they were lowered again. Yes, there were some design improvements to go along with these, but, in my opinion, they do not compensate sufficiently for the reduced fresh air. And they are doing this in the face of a number of studies showing that even the old fresh air requirements are not sufficient.
There are a number of ASHRAE researchers who now advocate more fresh air than ever. And an amazing study reported in the ASHRAE Journal this past March showed that CO2 is not just an indicator of insufficient ventilation, it is directly responsible for the symptoms and reduced mental acuity documented at various CO2 concentrations. This study was done with adults using a common test used to determine the job level to which employees should be assigned called the Strategic Management Simulations (SMS). It assesses complex cognitive functioning. The only change in the environments of the test subjects were CO2 levels that were created by releasing pure CO2 into the air. Loss of acuity was already seen at 600 ppm and increased as the CO2 levels were raised. So the current ASHRAE standard of 700ppm above ambient (300-500ppm) which can be as high as 1200 ppm is not good for our capacity to think.
This is consistent with the experience of theater facilities managers who monitor CO2 levels and note that at above 600 ppm, audiences get restless. During shows, these theaters up the fresh air intake.
My planning reports all recommend using ASHRAE 62-2001 fresh air requirements plus the more recent standards' improvements in the location of supply and exhaust. And I leave it to you to surmise how I feel about working on a building planning team when the client also wants LEED certification.
Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A., Industrial Hygienist
President: Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.
Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE
181 Thompson St., #23
New York, NY 10012 212-777-0062
-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph B. Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**CORNELL.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Fri, Aug 23, 2013 7:27 am
Subject: [DCHAS-L] ANSI standards reminder
In follow up to the recent discussion of lab ventilation issues, someone sent me
the information below about the ANSI standards involved. I had heard that AIHA
was giving up management of the 9.5 standard, but didn't realize how many other
standards were affected...
- Ralph
I received a notification on the 14th of this month from a source of technical
standards that tells me when standards I am interested in have changed (and I
have them on a list it watches) that the following changes have taken place:
Document Number: AIHA Z9.1
Publication Date: January 01, 2006
Title: Open Surface Tanks-Ventilation & Operations
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.1
Type of Change: Status Change
Document Number: AIHA Z9.5
Publication Date: January 01, 2003
Title: Laboratory Ventilation
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.5
Type of Change: Status Change
Document Number: AIHA Z9.11
Publication Date: January 01, 2008
Title: Laboratory Decommissioning
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.11
Type of Change: Status Change
Document Number: AIHA Z9.9
Publication Date: January 01, 2010
Title: Portable Ventilation Systems
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.9
Type of Change: Status Change
Document Number: AIHA Z9.2
Publication Date: January 01, 2006
Title: FUNDAMENTALS GOVERNING THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF LOCAL EXHAUST
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.2
Type of Change: Status Change
Document Number: AIHA Z9.6
Publication Date: January 01, 2008
Title: Exhaust Systems for Grinding, Polishing, and Buffing
Status: Withdrawn
Superseded by: ASSE Z9.6
Type of Change: Status Change
People will need to get out of the habit of referring to ANSI for these
documents, at least in some ways.
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