Industry Code of Practice on

Indoor Air Quality 2010

DOSH
Ministry of Human Resources

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 Introduction
• Good IAQ  healthy work environment
• Poor IAQ  causes many health problems
• Health problems – allergic reactions,
respiratory problem, eye irritation, sinusitis,
bronchitis, pneumonia

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 Bad IAQ can kill !

A safety alert. "A worker at a large, enclosed

construction site died of carbon monoxide
poisoning after he and six other workers were
exposed to high levels of the gas. Ventilation
on the site was inadequate, and three
machines were giving off carbon monoxide: a
portable mixer and a trowel, both powered by
gasoline, and a forklift powered by propane."
Source: Ontario Ministry of Labour

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 Industry Code of Practice purpose
(ICP)
• To provide guidance on improving IAQ and to
set min standard for selected parameters that
will avoid discomfort and/or adverse health
effect
• To ensure employees & occupants are
protected from poor IAQ.
• General duties of employers Sect 15, 17, 18
OSHA 1994

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 Areas of concern

• Buildings with Mechanical Ventilating and Air

Conditioning (MVAC)
• Indoor air pollutants
• Inadequate ventilation

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 Sources of Indoor Air Polution

• ETS ?
• Formaldehyde
• VOC ?
• Ozone

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 Definitions
• Ceiling limit

• Contaminant vs. contamination

• Prescribed activities?

• unacceptable

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 1.2 Scope and Applications
• Establishes a set of acceptable exposure limits
for chemical & biological contaminants
• Establishes a set of acceptable values for
specific physical parameters
• Describes a mechanism to identify, evaluate,
control of the indoor air contaminants
• Specifies other appropriate OSH measures

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 1.2.2 ICP excludes…….
• Domestic buildings
• Buildings for industrial purpose
• Building where chemical used for analytical,
research, preservation
• Removal/disposal of asbestos

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 2.0 Complaints & Investigations on
IAQ problem

2.1 Complaint procedure

- responsibility of building owner or mgt
- investigate after complaint

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 2.4.1 Walkthrough inspection
• Include……..
(a) collecting info history of building
(b) previous record of IAQ complaint
(c) notify occupants of investigation
(d) identifying key individuals
(e) identify potential contaminants

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 2.4.2 Initial findings
• For obvious solution – immediate action
• Not obvious – do assessment of IAQ
• Send affected persons for medical
examination

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 Table 1
• (a) air temperature 23 – 26 degree
• (b) relative humidity 40 – 70%
• (c) Air movement 0.15 – 0.50 m/s

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 Table 2
Chemical contaminants
(a) Carbon monoxide 10 ppm
(b) Formaldehyde 0.1 ppm
(c) Ozone 0.05 ppm
(d) Respirable particulates 0.15 mg/m3
(e) TVOC 3 ppm

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 Table 2 continue….
• Biological contaminants
(a) Total bacterial counts 500 cfu/m3
(b) Total fungal counts 1000 cfu/m3

• Ventilation performance indicator

(a) Carbon dioxide C1000 ppm

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 3.0 Control of IAQ
• Unacceptable IAQ : corrective measures within 1
mo
(a) Eliminate or relocate the source
(b) Control of ETS
(c) Preventing microbial growth
(d) Substitute to lower emission
(e) Improve ventilation
(f) Install air purification devices
(g) Administrative control
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 3.3 Inspection & maintenance of
MVAC

• Schedule maintenance at least every 6 mo

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 3.4 Control for prescribed activities
• Work procedure
• The use of appropriate PPE
• Seal the area
• Signage
• Portable exhaust system
• Admin control

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3.5 Prevention & control of renovation
work
• Shall not use materials of toxic substances
• Isolate – chemical airborne within spec of
Table 2
• Rebalancing of air distribution

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 3.6 Pest control
• Good building, use caulking, plastering cracks,
crevices to keep pests at bay
• Pesticide control by licensed, after office hour
• Notify occupants in advance
• Building owner name of pesticide used

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 3.7 Housekeeping and cleaning
• To keep dust level down and removes dirt
• Cleaning schedule – depends on activity level
• What cleaning agents used

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 3.8 ETS
3.8.1 Tobacco smoking is prohibited in many
public area, under Control of Tobacco Product
Regulations 2004

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 4.1 Information
Employer responsibilities to inform employees:
(a) Causes of IAQ, and its effect
(b) Complaints procedure
(c) Detrimental effects from ETS
(d) Modification or improvement to the poor
vent
(e) Findings of the assessment

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 4.2 Instruction
Employees shall follow all instructions by the
employer
(a) No smoking area
(b) Not to tamper MVAC
(c) Not to store chemical inside AHU room
(d) Ensure fresh air intake is not blocked
(e) Inform employer of any discomfort related to
IAQ
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 4.3 Training
• Employer to ensure employees are trained:
(a) Contents of ICP
(b) Sign or symptoms associated with poor IAQ
(c) To identify poor ventilation condition or
deteriorating MVAC
Training 1 per 2 years
Training record

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 5.0 Recordkeeping
• The ICP record kept for 5 yrs, assessment
report for 30 yrs.
• Stop business, record send to DG

• Record to be kept
complaints record, investigation reports,
assessment report IAQ measurement, training
records.
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6.0 Registration as an IAQ Assessor
• IAQ assessor shall register with the DG

Jawatan Kosong

6.1 Qualifications, experience and training

6.2 Registration procedure
6.3 Registration validity – max 3 yrs
6.4 Renewal of registration – active in IAQ every yr
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 Sources of poor IAQ
• The occupants themselves
• Inadequate materials, building technical
defects
• The work performed
• Excessive use of pesticide, cleaning agents
• Combustion gases
• Cross-contamination

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 Perimeters to indicate IAQ status

• Chemical contaminants
• Physical conditions
• Biological agents
• Radiation

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 Health effects due to poor IAQ
• Illness due to ETS

• Sick building syndrome (SBS)

• Building related illnesses

• Legionnaire’s disease

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