Page 42 - Climate Control News Magazine March 2021

Temperature Gauge
LECTURER AT MONASH UNIVERSITY, JENNY ZHOU,
WARNS THE NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CODE (NCC) WAS NOT CREATED TO ACCOMMODATE A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
How to accommodate a pandemic in the workplace
are at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease. Return-to-work COVID-safe plans can also overlook the importance of heat stress preven- tion, especially in some environments where em-
ployees must wear masks.
Upgrading air filters and increasing fresh air
intake of HVAC systems were among the recom- mended actions to reduce the spread of airborne pathogens, limit potential for mould growth in- side buildings, and keep workers safe. But, the
“MONASH AND CSIRO ARE WOKING TO ADDRESS LIMITATIONS IN THE NCC”
aforementioned actions could adversely impact the indoor thermal conditions and ventilation criteria that Australian workplaces might need going forward in the post-pandemic world to achieve “adequate indoor air quality”.
Current office HVAC systems may not be able to maintain appropriate indoor air temperatures and humidity due to the increased pressure drops associated with the use of superior grades of filters and the elevated cooling/heating load for conditioning extra amounts of fresh air.
The specific limitations of the NCC include the lack of consensus on validity and applicability of modelling approaches, and unclear interdiscipli- nary solutions to improve the human comfort and wellbeing.
To address such limitations, Monash is work- ing with CSIRO to develop monitoring tech- niques for human-building interaction, and us- ing the measured data to enrich the behaviour models in Accurate, a software tool accredited for use under Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).
Monash and other Australian universities are also collaborating with the International Energy Agency on Annex 79 – Occupant-Centric Build- ing Design and Operation, aiming to compre- hend the dynamic of behaviour problems through integrating technological, environmen- tal and social-psychological factors into occu- pant behaviour models.
It's essential that Australia draws upon inter- national best practice so workplaces and future
FOR THE FIRST time in 12 months many em- ployees are returning to work. As a result, building safety and overall staff behaviour must be a priority to ensure the health and well- being of everyone.
The National Construction Code (NCC) – a legally enforceable and technical document that sets the minimum acceptable standards for new building and construction work across Australia – binds builders and building owners to the responsibilities they hold in providing a safe work space.
The NCC outlines the requirements for venti- lation, which is a key factor in maintaining a healthy building environment, good indoor air quality, and the best conditions.
Although the code wasn’t developed based on pandemic scenarios, the NCC prescribes the ventilation criteria that must be met by build- ing designers in order to assure adequate in- door air quality.
For example, the committee set a minimum ventilation rate of 10 litres per second per person
in many building types. This rate-based ap- proach is not intended to address the concerns of airborne transmission diseases due to the limit- ed scope of “adequate indoor air quality”.
The minimum acceptable contaminant limits that verify that the indoor air is of “adequate” quality are primarily developed based on the control of body odours, combustion products, and building material off-gases.
Workers regularly tinker with their built components (such as windows, blinds and shades), service systems (lighting and hot wa- ter), and appliances (fans, portable heaters, of- fice facilities) to seek their own desired com- fortable conditions. As a result, employee behaviour is often recognised as an important contributing factor to building energy and oc- cupant comfort.
Unfortunately, mould and dampness, and stag- nant water in plumbing are among the common worries and concerns of reopening buildings.
If air-conditioning filters haven’t been up- graded over the shutdown, organisational staff
building constructs
can withstand the worst of this COVID-19 pandemic, and be prepared for future pandemics. ✺
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monash University lecturer in engineering, Jenny Zhou.
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