Preventing Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustrial Buildings

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) asked for public comment on a NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and other Nonindustrial Buildings.

Indoor environmental quality in nonindustrial environments like offices and schools has been a major issue across the nation. The purpose of this alert is to supply workers and employers with guidance for respiratory disease prevention and appropriate environmental response to damp building conditions.

Material Under Consideration

Draft document, “Preventing occupational respiratory disease from exposures caused by dampness in office buildings, schools, and other nonindustrial buildings,” dated 3/30/11 [PDF – 8,723 KB]

Notice of draft document for public comment; 76 FR 28789; 5/18/11 [PDF – 1,729 KB]

Correction; 76 FR 30366l; 5/25/11 [PDF – 889 KB]

Notice of issuance of final guidance publication; 12/13/12 [PDF – 1,134 KB]

NIOSH Alert: Preventing occupational respiratory disease from exposures caused by dampness in office buildings, schools, and other nonindustrial buildings; 11/30/12 [PDF – 27,664 KB]

Reviews

NIOSH responses to reviewers comments on draft document; 11/9/12 [PDF – 12,917 KB]

Submissions to the Docket in Order Received

Submission to the docket from Temes (Airways Environmental Services) – 6/1/11 [PDF – 769 KB]

Submission to the docket from Vice (private person) – 6/2/11 [PDF – 1,120 KB]

Submission to the docket from Tilford (private person) – 6/2/11 [PDF – 491 KB]

Submission to the docket from private person – 6/2/11 [PDF – 567 KB]

Submission to the docket from Wisecup (private person) – 6/8/11 [PDF – 398 KB]

Submission to the docket from Rutgers (private person) – 6/8/11 [PDF – 838 KB]

Submission to the docket from Madeska (private person) – 6/8/11 [PDF – 410 KB]

Submission to the docket from Marshall (Illinois Department of Public Health) – 7/7/11 [PDF – 501 KB]

Submission to the docket from Scott (School of Public Health, University of Toronto) – 7/8/11 [PDF – 379 KB]

Submission to the docket from Barnett (Healthy Schools Network, Inc.) – 7/11/11 [PDF – 1,283 KB]

Submission to the docket from Ethier (private person) – 7/11/11 [PDF – 747 KB]

Submission to the docket from Morey (private person) – 7/11/11 [PDF – 617 KB]

Submission to the docket from Horner (Air Quality Sciences, Inc.) – 7/11/11 [PDF – 3,067 KB]

Submission to the docket from Miller (Carleton University) – 7/11/11 [PDF – 739 KB]

Submission to the docket from Pullen (AIHA) – 7/12/11 [PDF – 1,734 KB]

Submission to the docket from Merrill (New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) – 7/12/11 [PDF – 1,022 KB]

Peer Review

Title: NIOSH Alert: Preventing Respiratory Diseases from Exposures Caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustiral Buildings

Cross-Clearance Agencies: None

Anticipated Date of Dissemination: July 1, 2010

Subject of Planned Report: Occupational respiratory disease from damp building conditions.

Purpose of Planned Report: To provide workers and employers with guidance for disease prevention and appropriate environmental response.

Type of Dissemination: Influential

Timing of the Review:3-6 weeks

Primary Disciplines or Expertise Needed for Review: medical and industrial hygiene

Type of Review: Individual

Anticipated Number of Reviewers: 10

Reviewers Selected by: NIOSH

Public Nominations Requested for Reviewers: No

Opportunities for the Public to Comment: Publication of a request for public comments

Peer Reviewers Provided with Public Comments: No

Charge to Peer Reviewers: See file 12-IEQ-Charge-Memo-06-11-2010

Peer Reviewers:

Mark Mendell, PhD
Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory
Areas of Expertise: indoor air quality
Recommended by: NIOSH

Laura Kolb, MPH
Environmental Protection Agency
Areas of Expertise: advisor on indoor environments
Recommended by: NIOSH

Charge to Peer Reviewers:

The Alert will provide the most recent scientific information on the relationships between exposures to damp indoor environments and respiratory symptoms, rhinitis/sinusitis, asthma, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It will present in a current, concise, and compelling manner (1) scientific information from NIOSH research and research of others concerning health effects attributed to exposures to damp indoor environments, (2) case clusters of asthma and cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and (3) recommendations on how to respond to damp indoor environments.

The target audience is teachers’ unions, government workers’ unions, advocacy groups such as the American Lung Association, State public health staff who handle indoor air quality (IAQ) complaints, occupational health professionals, the approximately 200 annual Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) employee and union requestors (and their management) who request NIOSH HHEs involving indoor dampness, and the general public.

The review should address issues of comprehension, scientific accuracy, appropriateness of the material, and depth of scope. The purpose of the review is to obtain broad opinions and improve the quality of the Alert document. Comments will be used in our revision of the document.

Specific items in the template relate to the following questions:

1. Is this document clear and comprehensible to a lay audience?
2. Do you have concerns about technical or factual accuracy?
3. Do you have concerns about our inclusion of the second bullet under “Workers” on page 2? If so, please explain.
4. Have we included inappropriate information?
5. Are there omissions of information that are critical for the intended audience of workers and management?
6. Do the recommendations in this Alert differ substantially from recommendations by other organizations?
7. Other comments you might have?