Is your Building Ventilation System Ready for Successful Re-Opening?
Adequate ventilation has become a key issue in determining whether a school, mall, or common shared spaces such as a gym inside a residential building is safe to reopen over concerns of COVID-19.
Ventilation and good airflow are crucial to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens. Poorly ventilated indoor environments (meaning air is not being exchanged, diluted, or filtered) that are served by a centralized ventilation system have been shown to increase the chances of transmission and infection from COVID-19.
The critical components of any properly operating ventilation system are the exhaust fans which push stale air out to make room for fresh air and the supply fans which bring in fresh outside air.
Some states including New York have implemented specific guidelines around air filtration and building systems for businesses and industries to reopen during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.According to the New York State Interim Guidance for reopening (Executive Order 202.61), businesses must have appropriate filtration and ventilation in their centralized HVAC equipment (or meet other standards when the existing system is incapable or there is no centralized system in place).
Based on these requirements, a business or apartment building would fall into 1 of the following 3 categories:
Case #1: The establishment has a Central Air System that is capable of MERV 13 filtration.
Requirements include:
- Provision of MERV 13 filtration to the system
- Enhancements to ventilation
- Recommended UV system to deactivate airborne particles
Case #2: The establishment has a Central Air System but it is not capable of the pressure loss across MERV 13 filters.
Requirements include:
- Operate the ventilation system 24/7
- Increase outdoor air or decrease recirculation
- Reduce filter bypass
- Increase inspection and maintenance of system
- Provide portable HEPA filtration sized to meet minimum air changes
- Provide UV system to deactivate airborne particles
Case #3: The establishment has no Central Air System.
Requirements include:
- Provide portable HEPA filtration sized to meet minimum air changes
- Provide UV system to deactivate airborne particles
- Open windows and provide window exhaust fans to maximum extent possible
In all three cases, New York requires a licensed Professional Engineer or another certified professional to verify compliance, indicating the measures taken by the business to meet the mandatory Air Filtration & Building Systems guidelines for HVAC systems.
To reopen a business in New York during COVID-19, the following checklist of items will be required by the state and city:
- Perform an evaluation and assessment of the business facility’s existing HVAC System
- Triage whether the business facility is Case #1, #2, or #3 according to COVID-19 requirements
- Design compliance with required action items
- Provide certification upon completion with the state’s affirmation form and the city’s attestation form
- Develop a written Safety Plan to be posted at the business location
- Read the New York State (NYS) guidelines outlined for the applicable business sector and affirm compliance
- Fill out the affirmation form at forms.ny.gov/s3/ny-forward-affirmation
Contact us to schedule an assessment of your building’s HVAC system by a Professional Engineer to prepare your establishment for re-opening. Call O&S today at 646.736.0699 or email marketing@oandsassociates.com.