INDOOR AIR QUALITY: READER RESPONSE DRAFT 3

According to Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises by Ministry of the Environment (1996), the design and construction of air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system (ACMV) could affect the indoor air quality of the building. A certified personnel must inspect the ACMV system at all stages of construction to prevent the spread of contaminants and bacteria through the circulated air. In order to achieve good air circulation through both natural and mechanical means, outdoor air must be filtered for foreign debris and a certain amount of air changes per hour must be met. The guideline states that the ideal ACMV system design is to construct the air intakes to be located where air are the cleanest, supply and return ducts to be made easy to reach for maintenance and cleaning. Building components that do not belong to the ACMV system must not be in air-handling rooms.

Although the excerpt states the protocol for achieving “good indoor air quality” through the design and construction of the air conditioning and mechanical ventilation system (ACMV). The details provided are mostly outdated and lack information on the current approach to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) through the ACMV system, as compared to guidelines used currently which were implemented by Building Construction Authority and Workplace Safety Health Council.

At present, most of the local guidelines for the code of practice are published into Singapore Standards for better precision. The latest publication for IAQ follows the code name SS 554 : 2016, which was published in 2016.

The “Green Mark Scheme” was introduced in 2005 by Building Construction Authority (BCA) as a push to shape Singapore’s construction industry to build infrastructures to be more environmentally friendly. This scheme was then measured by a point system to determine the quality of the building, where one of the criteria was to achieve good IAQ. The government agency also provides guidelines and technical guides to update the public on ways to score on the point system. These guides are updated regularly, which are great ways to keep existing infrastructures in check to be always improving in environmental friendliness, so to close the gap of sustainability in between existing and new infrastructures.


Workplace Health and Safety Council (WSH) was established in 2008 to promote better safety features in the workplace, with the aim of creating a healthy workforce. Safety features such as achieving good IAQ in the workplace for a healthier working environment were included in guideline: Management of Indoor Air Quality in Air-Conditioned Workplaces published in 2016. “In Singapore, where the climate is hot and humid, we rely heavily on air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) system to provide thermal comfort in sealed indoor environments.” (WSH, 2016). Staying in an enclosed air-conditioned space after returning from the extreme Singapore weather, would affect the IAQ negatively as the sweaty bodies from the occupants of the building could bring contaminants to the sealed indoor space. WSH states the risks of having poor IAQ could result in potential health issues of the occupants in the building. The guideline further highlights the importance to appoint an “IAQ manager” to oversee the IAQ of the building, as there must be someone to hold the responsibility in upholding the IAQ standards within the space. Manuals to maintain a clean ACMV system by cleaning the air filters were included. This guideline provides more reliable instructional methods in achieving healthy IAQ within a building using various methods, which the initial excerpt only focused on the design and construction of the ACMV system.

In conclusion, modern approaches to achieving healthy IAQ within enclosed space are being implemented and updated by government agencies regularly through the form of guidelines and standards. It is almost unnecessary to follow the initial excerpt published in 1996 in achieving healthy IAQ, as the latest publication of guidelines by BCA and WSH offer more ways to achieve healthy IAQ other than the design and construction of ACMV system.  


References

Ministry of the Environment. (1996). Guidelines for Good Indoor Air Quality in Office Premises. Singapore.
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Building Construction Authority. (2005). Green Mark Scheme. Singapore.
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Building Construction Authority. (2015). Green Mark for Non-Residential Buildings NRB: 2015. Singapore.
Retrieved from

Building Construction Authority. (2015). Technical Guide: Green Mark for Non-Residential Buildings NRB: 2015. Singapore.
Retrieved from

Building and Construction Standards Committee. (2016). SS 554 : 2016 Code of practice for indoor air quality for air-conditioned buildings. Singapore.
Retrieved from

Workplace Safety and Health Council. (2016). Management of Indoor Air Quality in Air-Conditioned Workplaces. Singapore.
Retrieved from

Workplace Safety and Health Council. (2008). WSH Council. Singapore.
Retrieved from






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