ASHRAE agrees to create a Pathogen Mitigation Standard for Indoor Air Quality

ASHRAE to set up a balanced team of internationally recognised experts to work on an accelerated timeline to develop the standard.

ASHRAE’s board of directors has recently announced its commitment to support the expedited development of a national indoor air quality (IAQ) pathogen mitigation standard. The goal is to finalise the consensus-based, code enforceable standard within six months.

Farooq Mehboob, President (2022-2023) and Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, said, “The health and well-being of building occupants are crucial factors that must be considered during the design, construction and operation phases of the building process. ASHRAE’s long history of leadership in IAQ science and technology, will provide broad-reaching guidance through this standard to help ensure the use of best practices for pathogen mitigation, which will assist in creating safer indoor spaces for us all.”

It will set up a balanced team of internationally recognised experts to work on an accelerated timeline to develop the standard. Delivery of the standard will include:

• Both design and operation
• Alternative paths (prescriptive or performance), in which equivalent clean air would be the goal
• Testing, verification, documentation (commissioning) and periodic re-commissioning

The increased focus on IAQ by governments and the public, along with the convergence of the flu, respiratory syncytial (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) threatening public health, makes organisation’s development of the pathogen mitigation standard of even greater importance, as jurisdictions and building owners look to a reputable and non-biased source for guidance and science-based building standards.

Airborne transmission of pathogens is of concern to the public writ-large and governments are responding. In March, the U.S. government launched the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which included recommendations to improve ventilation and filtration in buildings. The Clean Air in Buildings Challenge was also launched this spring, along with a  summit on Improving Indoor Air Quality in October.

The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of extensive guidance, including IAQ resources, referenced by governments, building owners, and facility managers in the U.S. and internationally.