Indoor Air
An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Homeland Security and the Indoor Environment
Basic Information on Pollutants and Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
- Asbestos
- Biological Pollutants
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
- Lead (Pb)
- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
- Pesticides
- Radon (Rn)
- Respirable Particles
- Secondhand Smoke/ Environmental Tobacco Smoke
- Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Read "Care for Your Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality"
In 2002, the Office of Homeland Security (OHS) formed the Interagency Workgroup on Building Air Protection which includes representatives from agencies across the Federal government. EPA is the Executive Secretariat of this Workgroup which is chaired by OHS. One of the first tasks of the Workgroup was to produce guidance to building owners and managers that would contain a set of recommendations they could implement now to better protect the indoor environments of their buildings from terrorist threats.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in close collaboration with Workgroup members, took on the task of drafting the document. NIOSH, working with members of the Building Air Protection Workgroup and non-Federal stakeholders, developed a set of recommendations that building owners and managers can implement now to protect indoor environments of buildings from a terrorist release of CBR contaminants. Read more about Indoor Environmental Quality topics at NIOSH.
- Guidance for Filtration and Air-Cleaning Systems to Protect Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks
DHHS (NIOSH) Pub No. 2003-136, April 2003
Provides preventive measures that building owners and managers can implement to protect building air environments from a terrorist release of chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants.
- Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-139 (May 2002) 841 KB (40 pages)
This document identifies actions that a building owner or manager can implement without undue delay to enhance occupant protection from an airborne chemical, biological, or radiological attack. Includes information about: what you can do; specific recommendations; things not to do; physical security; ventilation and filtration; maintenance, administration, and training.
- NIOSH Emergency Response Resources
Several organizations have developed guidance to assist building owners and operators in addressing issues related to building security and CBR terrorist attacks. Many other organizations have guidance that addresses security needs and disaster response plans for events such as fire, natural disasters, and bomb threats. While this latter guidance may not specifically address a terrorist threat to heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, readers may find portions of the information below beneficial in establishing their own building's emergency response plans. The following list, developed in 2003, is not all-inclusive. The references/links/descriptions were last updated: July 3, 2012.
| Organization | Reference/Link/Description |
|---|---|
| National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) | Health and safety guidance, publications, and training information. |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | Health guidance for CBR agents. |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) | "Protecting Buildings and Their Occupants from Airborne Hazards" Document presents a variety of ways to protect building occupants from airborne hazards. |
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA's Homeland Security Portal |
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| U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) | Facility Standards for the Public Buildings Service (PBS-P100) Establishes design standards and criteria for new buildings, major and minor alterations, and work in historic structures for the Public Building Service. Also provides information on conducting building security assessments. |
| Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) | Chemical, Biological, Radiological Incident Handbook Unclassified document describing potential CBR events, recognizing potential CBR events, differences between agents, common symptoms, and information for making preliminary assessments when a CBR release is suspected. |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Website with advice for safeguarding buildings against chemical or biological attack. |
| American Institute of Architects (AIA) | Building Security Through Design  An AIA resource center: offers architects and others, up-to-date, in-depth material on building security issues. |
| American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) |
Risk Management Guidance for Health and Safety under Extraordinary Incidents. Draft report provides recommendations for owners and managers of existing buildings. |
| American Society for Industrial Security |
Locates security specialists and provides the Crises Response Resources link to find information related to terrorism and building security. |
| International Facility Management Association (IFMA) |
Information on security-related training courses. |
| National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) |
Whole Building Design Guide - Features security-related design information. |