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Health and Safety

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The inter connectedness of life on earth means that nothing we put into the ecosystem simply disappears. In other word s, what we do to the planet, we do to ourselves. Pollutants reach humans through the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe and endanger our health in both immediate and long-lasting ways. Outdoor air pollution alone is associated with more than one million deaths and countless illnesses each year across the globe. Children and the elderly - the most vulnerable members of our society - are especially susceptible to toxins like mercury and pesticides. Why Environmental Health Matters ? Water: The human body is mostly water – up to 70% water, in fact. Add that to the reality that only 2.5% of water on the planet is drinkable and it becomes clear why protecting our water supply is so important. Although the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts are meant to keep toxins out of our water, many still slip by both our policy safeguard
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Air volume and number of changes

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ASHRAE Standard 62 recommends a certain volume of fresh air be supplied to various areas in a building, which is dependent on the number of people present and the nature of the activity taking place. This is typically expressed as cubic feet per minute (cfm), cubic meters per hour (m3/hr) or liters of air per minute (l/min) per person. Proper volume flows and air exchanges per hour should be verified any time changes or renovations occur that may affect the HVAC system. Volume flow verification should also be done when there are increases in occupant complaints, higher than normal operating costs, odors, abnormal ventilation noise or when changes in building differential pressures create noticeable conditions such as unexpected drafts and difficulty opening doors. Fresh air volume and air changes can be compared to recommendations in ASHRAE Standard 62. If measurements conform to these guidelines, it is a good general indicator that the system is performing properly. Meas
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Ventilation

It is the process by which ‘clean’ air (normally outdoor air) is intentionally provided to a space and stale air is removed. This may be accomplished by either natural or mechanical means. Indoor air quality (IAQ) It is a growing concern today. Concern with energy conservation has made building construction nearly airtight, which, in turn, has made proper ventilation more important than ever. People today are spending the majority of their lives indoors, more than 90% of the time according to the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency).Managing indoor air quality can have a big impact on the satisfaction, productivity and health of occupants. Three general categories of contaminants can impact IAQ: Biological, Chemical and Particle related pollutants Outdoor Air Quality An issue that is frequently overlooked and ends up being dealt with after the fact is the impact of the surrounding environment on a building. Too often, aesthetic consideration places o
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Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)

Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) relates to systems that perform processes designed to regulate the air conditions within buildings for the comfort and safety of occupants or for commercial and industrial processes or for storage of goods. HVAC systems condition and move air to desired areas of an indoor environment to create and maintain desirable temperature, humidity, ventilation and air purity. Heating Heaters are appliances whose purpose is to generate heat (i.e. warmth) for the building. This can be done via central heating. Such a system contains a boiler, furnace, or heat pump to heat water, steam, or air in a central location such as a furnace room in a home, or a mechanical room in a large building. The heat can be transferred by convection, conduction, or radiation. Ventilation It is the intentional introduction of ambient air into a space and is mainly used to control indoor air quality by diluting and displacing indoor pollutants; it can
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