Protecting building environments presents many challenges to environmental
health practitioners. Maintaining a secure and healthy building environment
requires an in-depth knowledge of building components and understanding the
vulnerability of these components to contamination.
This section provides resources on protecting building environments as well as general links
on improving indoor air quality.
CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response – how to prepare, plan, and respond to healthy building environments after disasters
Terrorism Response – Safeguarding Building Ventilation (CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH])
Advice for Safeguarding Buildings Against Chemical or Biological Attack [external link] (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) [external link]
Damage Assessment [external link] [PDF 2.53 MB] (Santa Clara County Amateur Radio Emergency Services/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services) – describes the purpose of disaster assessment and process to complete damage assessment forms
Flood Cleanup
[external link] (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]) – general information to help people in flooded areas recover and reduce risks caused by a flood
Indoor Air Quality [external link] (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] Office of Air and Radiation) – guides to reduce human health risks posed by contaminants in indoor environments
Initial Damage Assessment Forms [external link] (Florida Division of Emergency Management) – forms and instructions described in Florida’s Handbook for Initial Damage Assessment.
Risk Management Series Publications [external link] (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]) – series of guides to reduce damage to building components and related infrastructure and reduce resultant casualties from disasters
Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response [external link] – project to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters and enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster response
World Health Organization (WHO) [external link]