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Ventilation

Ventilation is the key to a good indoor air quality. Without proper ventilation, pollutants such as industrial cleansers,  molds, or even carbon dioxide can build up to unsafe levels.  Although not necessarily fatal, many common indoor pollutants, such as pollen, may cause people to experience headaches or skin irritations, and generally will make time spent in the building absolutely miserable. 

Over the past decade the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that 52% of all indoor air quality problems are a direct result of poor ventilation. However, with proper ventilation these could have been prevented.

Currently, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends that outdoor air be supplied to each room at a rate of 15 to 60 cfm/person depending on the activity taking place within a given room (Standard 62-1989). However this is only a recommendation and can only be enforceable if a given state or town adopts the recommendation into its building code. To further complicate these matters, building codes pertaining to ventilation usually only enforce how the building is designed, not how the building is operated. 

There is some relief, though: ventilation in laboratory areas or other areas where chemicals are used or stored have strict ventilation guidelines. These guidelines are based on OSHA recommendations and can be found in the SCCC Chemical Hygiene Plan.