Do politicians ever consider the indoor environment ?

[Air Advocate]

If we as Canadians spend up to 93 % of our lives indoors then when will we be working on that topic?

Why are so many industries are not regulated?

were can you be educated to make a difference?

What schools offer courses on duct cleaning, restaurant exhaust systems, mold remediation, asbestos removal, fire and flood restoration?

No one ever thinks of the numbers for example there are more then 200,000 buildings with commercial kitchen exhaust systems and approximately only 60 companies advertising to clean these systems across Canada.

How could these restaurants be cleaned to NFPA 96 standard?

What about the amount of homes across Canada aproximately 11,000,000. How many companies do you think offer duct cleaning services? How many homes are currently contaminated with mold or asbestos?

We have many commercial buildings contaminated as well. What is the current procedure for the removal of tar and nicotine?


Have we really been warned about the risk?


Do you really think you will be breathing clean air any time soon?

 

[RedGreen]

Air quality can be pretty bad in some buildings. I agree that there should be regulations to ensure that commercial/ government buildings have clean air. In Winnipeg Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro is building a new office building in the city's downtown. Its supposed to be a "green built building". The office windows actually open to the outside to allow fresh air in during the summer to reduce cooling costs. There are many other aspects to the building design that make it an environmentally friendly building. I'll see if I can find more info somewhere on the net.

I think ALL new buildings in Canada should have to be built taking in to consideration both the environment and human health.

 

[RedGreen]

I guess the building is more about environmental sustainability than human health but check it out anyways. http://canada.archiseek.com/news/2005/000213.html

 

[TenPenny]

Indoor air quality of federal buildings comes under the federal gov't; they have health inspectors who look after this. A friend of mine retired as a federal health inspector a few years ago; among his many duties were air quality issues in federal buildings, as well as food safety detail for the G8 summit, Royal visits, etc etc.

 

[Tonington]

I know new schools had to be built here in Nova Scotia because they didn't make the grade for air quality. Barrington was one, and I can't remember the other one, perhaps Shelburne.

 

[L Gilbert]

Indoor air quality of federal buildings comes under the federal gov't; they have health inspectors who look after this. A friend of mine retired as a federal health inspector a few years ago; among his many duties were air quality issues in federal buildings, as well as food safety detail for the G8 summit, Royal visits, etc etc.

Right. Politicians consider nothing except themselves for the most part and anything after that is only considered under pressure. They sure as hell don't wander about looking for things to consider.

 

[TenPenny]

Right. Politicians consider nothing except themselves for the most part and anything after that is only considered under pressure. They sure as hell don't wander about looking for things to consider.

Well, actually there are things that are federal resposibility, and things that are provincial responsibility.

As to the original post, what does NFPA have to do with indoor environment?

 

[L Gilbert]

Well, actually there are things that are federal resposibility, and things that are provincial responsibility.

Yup, but I don't put much stock in politicians of either sort to have actual initiative. Especially when it means confrontation with any particular group (like business, environmentalists, women, ethnic groups, etc.)

 

[Air Advocate]

The numbers speak for them self

Every one believes some one is responsible



Sure we have Fire, Health, Building inspectors what are they inspecting when they do find problems is there even a business able to do the work required?



Just think of smoking, it was permited for years indoors but have you ever heard of a contractor that actually cleanes it? where would you even look to find this type of service?



its in the air some thing we do not see so we do not talk about it.


We have a building code that does not even include the installation of access doors for ventilation systems accept for fire dampers. No one ever considers preventative maintenance.

If they did HVAC systems would be build to be cleaned as well as repaired. How do you clean the evaporator coils with out causing all kinds of contamination or damage either by compressed air or high pressure water?

The NFPA 96 is for fire prevention i was talking about the restaurant exhaust systems as fire prevention as well as clean air issues.

The numbers speak for them selves. If we concentrate on these issues we can create many jobs.

Schools actually educating people in areas that are required fro the future safety of the population.
Do you not agree there is a problem in most building?

 

[TenPenny]

The numbers speak for them selves. If we concentrate on these issues we can create many jobs.

Schools actually educating people in areas that are required fro the future safety of the population.
Do you not agree there is a problem in most building?

There is a problem in some buildings, not all. Generally speaking the building is the responsibility of the owner. You are responsible for your own house. THe last time I looked, Sears was promoting home heating duct cleaning services, and I'm pretty sure Servicemaster does it as well.

 

[DurkaDurka]

How do farts effect an indoor environment?

 

[Air Advocate]

How do you get people involved?

Do you think anybody on this forum would be interested in getting involved?

 

[Air Advocate]

like i said there needs to be regulations in the industry

there are many companies doing that type of work but are they really doing the work?
or what about mold removal contractors. even the consultants inspecting your homes have no governing body regulating there industry. so it is buyer beware.

how can you expect a company to clean up an environmental hazard with out proper tools or eduction?
Who created the guildlines for the proper tools and methods to be used?

all i am saying is we can have carpet cleaning companies clean ventilation ducts but are they cleaning them we can have fire and flood contractors remove mold? but what garantee is there if no one regulates them?

If so how could the restaurants have there exhaust systems cleaned once a year or every six months with only 60 companies doing this work.
or what about the 11,000,000 dwellings arcoss Canada how is it possible for any one to breath clean safe air any time soon.

we have building owners that are responcible for this type of problem but they have property managers who have many other departments that could be responcible health and safety commities thing get lost after a while of trying.

 

[karrie]

When I worked in a building with chroncially sick people, the employers were quick to have th building tested for molds and toxins. I don't recall there ever being any problem getting people in to do it.

When I need my furnace and ducts cleaned, it takes me five minutes of checking through the phone book, and I have a choice of companies, despite being fairly far north.

Having a husband who is allergic to mold, and who suffers chronic asthma, we are relatively picky about the indoor environment. We've had to do mold removal in the past, and that was never an issue either. Many disaster clean up companies have the equipment to remove almost any contaminant you can think of. They've never struck me as being in low supply, as we've always been able to contact them when their services were needed.

As for grease exhausts in restaurants and such, that I have no clue about really. But, demand is typically filled in most areas.

 

[TenPenny]

When I worked in a building with chroncially sick people, the employers were quick to have th building tested for molds and toxins. I don't recall there ever being any problem getting people in to do it.

When I need my furnace and ducts cleaned, it takes me five minutes of checking through the phone book, and I have a choice of companies, despite being fairly far north.

Having a husband who is allergic to mold, and who suffers chronic asthma, we are relatively picky about the indoor environment. We've had to do mold removal in the past, and that was never an issue either. Many disaster clean up companies have the equipment to remove almost any contaminant you can think of. They've never struck me as being in low supply, as we've always been able to contact them when their services were needed.

As for grease exhausts in restaurants and such, that I have no clue about really. But, demand is typically filled in most areas.

But, you're supposed to demand the gov't do soemthing about it.

As far as restaurants with their ventilation ducts, the ducts in restaurants are exhaust air ducts, so anything in them cannot affect indoor air quality.

 

[karrie]

But, you're supposed to demand the gov't do soemthing about it.

Yeah, that's just not going to happen. lol. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my own home, and do not want the government invited in to control my environment, thanks.

As for work places, that falls under worker's compensation issues. If a building is a sick building, workers start complaining, and they step in to monitor air quality. Thus, it is the government stepping in, and there are air quality standards which must be met through worker's compensation.

 

[Air Advocate]

What makes you think the tools they use are safe

You said before that when you’re in a sick building you call in an inspector, so what does this person do? Walk around with impressive meters and gadgets making it look good?
What recommendations do they usually make?
Did you ever think that even if there was a problem the results would still come back as a clean safe building?
Have you ever been told to go home until the problem is solved? So now depending on how many people work in the building it could cost the community a lot of money since now normal tax payers are not paying tax they are collecting unemployment or welfare until the problem is solved, would this not affect the community since taxes are what pays for street lights and payment.
If the amount of problem in each building were inspected by an honest inspector or independent inspector not employed by the government (public works) or the property manager you would get honest results. The community or public works would now have to prove you wrong.
We have health and safety committee in businesses with more then twenty staff members; does this make you feel comfortable? If so where did these committee member get educated for this position? What power does each member have?

Has any one ever considered the potential path the air takes before you breathe it?
Fresh air intake with pigeons nesting leaving hazardous microorganisms to be carried into the building for all the occupants to breathe in. What about the ceiling space used as a return air plenum. Did you ever consider the dead skin and body ash, volatile organic compounds, or combination of tar and nicotine left behind from many year of smoking. Smoke attaches it self to everything off gassing every day. How about the efficiency of the air filters if we can purchase filters that will capture harmful particulate why aren’t we? The harmful particulate is so small that a conventional filter basically dices the pieces into smaller breathable chunks.

There are so many things we never considered in building or maintenance are homes and businesses. The building code does not even include access door for preventative maintenance just for fire dampers. What about the fire code having requirements not to make opening in certain walls due to the risk of fire spreading through the building, if your not able to make opening to get the to the system your trying to clean how affective can you be?

 

[Air Advocate]

Just an example of one problem the tools being used

They haven't even tested the tools being used. The tools being use to clean the air can also be polluting it, does that make sense? These big truck mounted vacuums massive bags sticking out the top but how affective can canvas filter be? Did you know the building code call for the use of asbestos in homes over 20 years ago, mostly on the heating system and around registers? Would these vacuums not be sucking up asbestos other harmful substances too?
Why do asbestos contractors use HEPA filters machines for removal?
To clean a ventilation system they just use a big vacuum spewing the particulate all over your neighborhood. Did you send your kids outside to play when they cleaned your ventilation system? Did they play around the big truck?
At least in some state they have banded the use of these big vacuums and in other states they require a contractor to put up yellow tape creating a 20 foot bearer give the harmful particulate a chance to dissipate.

 

[Air Advocate]

Can you tell me why if sears cleans ventilation sytems they do not clean there own

Its funny to see the replies when if you just looked over your heads and considered what would the test results be if them tiny particles were tested in the various places in your ventilation systems.
Think of the potential path the air takes how efficient was the air filter that had the opportunity to remove.

 

[RedGreen]

Do you work for a duct cleaning company Airbear?