Page 8 - Climate Control News magazine March 2022

News
COVID information hub for industry
ABOVE: The pandemic has put indoor ventilation under the spotlight.
THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE of Refrigera- tion, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has created an information hub on how to prevent the airborne spread of COVID-19.
AIRAH has collected a suite of videos, guides and articles that reflect the latest thinking on indoor air quality (IAQ) and pre- venting the spread of COVID-19.
The resources have now been made freely available to help the HVACR industry and broader community to stay up to date and in- formed on these vital topics.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, and particularly since the recognition of the crit- ical role of airborne transmission, AIRAH has been curating resources about how HVACR systems can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
AIRAH CEO, Tony Gleeson, said one of the benefits of running virtual events has been the ability to more easily record presentations for future reference.
“Recognising the value of these presenta- tions for a wider audience, we have now packaged them together and are making them freely available through an easy-to- access knowledge hub: the IAQ Assembly,” he said.
Speakers include Professor Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology; Bryon Price from A.G. Coombs; Brett Fair- weather from It’s Engineered; Jon Clarke from Dexus; Ian Harwood from PDF Engineering; and Patrick Chambers from Stantec.
“These speakers
bring different types
of expertise from epi-
demiology to aerosol
physics, from filtra-
tion to data analytics,
from HVAC engineer-
ing controls right
through to practical
building services strategies,” Gleeson said.
“We know that addressing the airborne spread of COVID-19 and improving indoor air quality in general requires a cross-disciplinary approach. AIRAH is committed to fostering this collaboration and building a foundation for this vital and ongoing work.”
As well as the video library, the IAQ As- sembly includes guidance materials pub- lished by AIRAH, other industry bodies and government; frequently asked questions about indoor air quality and HVACR sys- tems; and news stories about COVID-19 and indoor air quality.
“Our knowledge of COVID-19 and indoor air quality has grown rapidly over the past two years – as has public awareness” Gleeson said.
“AIRAH will continue to curate the IAQ Assembly, adding resources and making them freely available. No matter what happens next in the pandemic, knowledge will be key, and that’s what this initiative is all about.”
To access the IAQ Assembly, go to airah.org. au/IAQA
AIRAH CEO, Tony Gleeson
Call for mandatory air conditioning
GREENS SENATOR SAMANTHA Ratnam has called on the Victorian government to make air conditioning compulsory in rental properties.
The Victorian Senator has called for amendments to minimum standards for rental properties.
Ratnam said Victorians are battling longer and hotter heat waves due to climate change which is why air conditioners should be mandatory.
Current standards for rental properties cov- er heating but not cooling.
“Every rental home must have a heater in good working order but there are no standards for insulation or cooling,” Ratnam said in a let- ter to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gam- ing and Liquor Regulation, Melissa Horne.
“As Victorians swelter through another warm summer, many renters are living in homes without air conditioning or effective insulation,and are struggling to keep their homes cool in the hot weather.”
Ratnam said more people are spending more time at home as a result of COVID-19.
“Victorians are also once again working from home in line with
current health advice,
meaning many renters
are spending long hours in hot condi- tions, and at risk of de- veloping heat-related illness or heatstroke,” she said.
Tenants Victoria chief executive, Jennifer Beveridge, said standards for rental properties have been updated with new rules coming into effect on 29 March, 2022.
Under the new rules, rental properties must have curtains or blinds fitted to each window in any room likely to be used as a bedroom or living area.
L-R: Greens Senator, Samantha Ratnam. Tenants Victoria chief executive,
Jennifer Beveridge.
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
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