The Importance of a Healthy Indoor Environment

Have you heard that each year, $3.5 billion is spent in the U.S. for asthma related illnesses due to dampness and mold issues in homes? Or that $50 billion is spent per year for lead poisoning in children? What about the fact that each year radon-related lung cancer takes the lives of over 22,000 people, more than drunk driving does? If you didn't know these things, you aren't alone.

The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is trying to bring attention to the importance of a healthy indoor environment with the new National Healthy Housing Standard.  The goal of the Standard is to reduce preventable diseases and improve the overall health of homes and neighborhoods by reducing the poor conditions that cause such illnesses.  The Standard is designed to complement the policies for the maintenance of existing homes, already in place by local, state and federal governments. However, it is not meant to guide new construction or housing rehabilitation.

NCHH wants to make sure that everyone has a safe haven to return to each day that is free of anything that could cause illness or injury. At SkyeTec, we want the same, and offer a variety of inspections to ensure that a home or building is free of mold or moisture, radon, asbestos, lead based paint, carbon monoxide, harmful Chinese drywall, and more.

To view the National Healthy Housing Standard, which is currently in the draft phase and open to public comment, click here.

New National Campaign to Prevent Occupational Respiratory Disease from Dampness Exposure in Schools, Office Buildings & Other Nonindustrial Facilities

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued a new warning alert similar to what you would find on tobacco products which states: “Warning! Occupants within damp office buildings, schools, and other nonindustrial facilities may develop respiratory symptoms and diseases”.  

NIOSH defines “dampness” as “the presence of unwanted and excessive moisture in buildings”. It is widely known that excessive moisture and dampness can lead to mold growth, which can negatively impact the health of occupants by causing respiratory symptoms such as asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, sinus infections, and other respiratory infections.

Dampness and moisture problems can often occur because of sub-optimal building design or lack of oversight during construction. 

Here are some tips from NIOSH to prevent a moisture problem from occurring:

• Prevent high levels of indoor humidity through proper use of HVAC systems
• Conduct regularly scheduled inspections of heating, ventilating, and A/C systems 
• Dry any porous surfaces that have become wet from leaks or flooding within the first 48 hours
• Clean and repair or replace any building materials that are moisture damaged or show evidence of mold growth
• Establish an Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) team to oversee implementation of an IEQ Program. 

SkyeTec also recommends implementing a moisture prevention program during construction to ensure that the building is being properly constructed and sealed to avoid defects that could lead to a moisture problem later in the building's life cycle.  It is much more cost-effective to take preventative action for moisture/dampness than it is to take remedial action.

With the amount of time that we all spend in the workplace or classroom, it makes sense for NIOSH to emphasize the importance of a quality indoor air environment and the resolution of dampness and moisture/mold problems.