Indoor Air Quality Consulting Services

In today’s market, employers and landlords are taking a pro-active stance on indoor air quality (IAQ) issues. The effect of poor IAQ on employee moral and productivity can be detrimental to the employee-employer relationship, as well as the tenant-landlord relationships. In today’s competitive real estate and job market, providing a pleasant and safe working environment can mean the difference between profit and loss. LEED certified buildings also have Indoor Environmental Quality prerequisites that must be met to achieve certification.

PENTA’s IAQ team has surveyed over 20 million square feet of commercial space, as well as single and multi-family residential structures. Our team includes Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEP’s), Professional Engineers, and Biologists. Our team is experienced in various building uses from institutional to health care to general office space. PENTA’s objective is to understand the subject facility’s condition, evaluate the potential concerns, and develop a strategy to mitigate the concerns that will produce a cost-effective solution to fit the client’s needs.

Our IAQ consulting services include:

• Construction Plan Reviews – Our indoor air quality evaluations can begin with review of construction plans and specifications to identify potential IAQ concerns before they become a problem.
• Proactive Baseline Surveys – Baseline surveys can be a useful tool in identifying potential indoor air quality issues before the complaints begin.
• Our baseline surveys typically include some, or all of the following:

• Observations of accessible areas of the in-place HVAC system(s) servicing the subject area of the facility to assess operations and maintenance practices and assess general airflow patterns within the subject area and adjacent areas.
• Measurements for carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), temperature, and relative humidity.
• Observations of the existing facility, including furnishings, occupant activities, janitorial practices, and other potential contaminant sources from inside or outside the facility

• Complaint Response Surveys – Proactive response to employee/tenant concerns is a great way for building owners/managers to alleviate concerns and let the employee/tenant know that the building owners/managers take their complaints seriously. There are literally thousands of potential indoor air quality contaminants. Different types of contaminants require different sampling techniques. While many companies in today’s IAQ market try to sell need for expensive air sampling as part of initial assessments, PENTA’s complaint response survey initially focuses on general conditions within the subject area of the facility and is used as a tool to document if environmental sampling is necessary, and to provide a sharper focus on environmental sampling to be performed. PENTA can evaluate complaints of occupant irritation, discomfort, or health concerns and identify conditions in or adjacent to the survey building or the HVAC system that may be contributing to the reported complaints.

Our complaint response surveys include the services provided in our baseline surveys and the following:

• Discussions with facility contacts to document the nature and distribution of reported complaints.
• Observations of areas of the building, adjacent areas, and the HVAC system for:

• Possible moisture sources which could indicate potential microbiological reservoirs and amplifiers
• Possible sources of odors
• Possible sources of chemical air contaminants (such as volatile organic compounds)
• Possible sources of combustion products.

• Observations above suspended ceiling systems to document potential IAQ contaminants.
• Evaluation of return air pathways.
• When deemed necessary, PENTA performs complaint specific air and bulk sampling for contaminants. Environmental sampling may include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)
• Bacteria
• Fungus (mold)
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
• Metals
• Others

 

Policy and Procedure Program Development/Training – PENTA can develop work procedures to control potential IAQ concerns and provide training to building maintenance personnel to raise IAQ awareness and appropriate work practices.

Litigation Support – PENTA can provide support services to develop or evaluate existing data and provide expert opinion related to potential or ongoing litigation related to IAQ.

 

 

Our professional team of engineers is dedicated to meeting the needs of each individual client and can tailor a scope of services to meet those needs.

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