Indoor Air Quality

Safetech Environmental Limited (SEL) offers a wide variety of services associated with Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).  Our goal is to provide our clients with accurate, efficient and cost-effective services to assist them in maintaining a safe and healthy environment.  We have qualified staff that possesses the educational background, knowledge and years of extensive hands-on experience in performing IAQ assessments of varied complexity to provide the highest quality of service to our clients.  We follow current IAQ standards and guidelines and use state-of-the-art sampling equipment to provide the highest level of services, which include the following:

• Indoor Air Quality Assessments – IAQ assessments can be tailored to the specific needs of our clients.  They can vary in scope from basic assessments in one specific location to comprehensive building-wide assessments.  Measurements for thermal comfort parameters (temperature & relative humidity), carbon dioxide (to assess the outdoor air ventilation rate), and a number of other common indoor pollutants are typically taken as part of a basic IAQ assessment.  In addition, a visual inspection of the HVAC systems serving the investigated areas is typically performed.

• Development of IAQ Management Programs – The benefits of providing good IAQ can be realized even more by implementing an IAQ Management Program for your building.  SEL can help develop a specific program that will meet your needs.  Such programs can include the development of annual, semi-annual or quarterly IAQ testing, re-assessment after modifications to HVAC systems, and testing for contaminant levels during and after major renovations.  Education of building maintenance personnel and building tenants can also be incorporated into a comprehensive IAQ management program.

• Air Sampling for Specific Contaminants – In some instances, more detailed air quality evaluations may have to be performed where sampling for specific contaminants is required.  Examples of this include recently renovated areas, where air sampling for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and aldehydes (including formaldehyde) can provide useful information on the quality of air in these areas.  Testing for occupant-specific sensitivities or allergies such as moulds, dust mite allergens, latex allergens, and individual chemical contaminants may also be required under certain circumstances.

• Odour Investigations – Odours can arise from a number of sources such as gas leaks, hidden mould growth, rotting or decaying vegetation or dead animals, dry traps or cracked sewer lines, building-related activities or infiltration from outside contaminant sources. In many instances the occurrence of an unknown odour can cause significant disruption and concern in the work environment.  SEL can help our clients determine the cause and source of the odour so that the problem can be properly rectified.  A variety of assessment techniques are used by SEL to characterize and/or determine the source of the odour, depending on the specific situation.

• Post-Fire Air Quality Testing – Fires have the potential to generate thousands of contaminants, the composition of which will vary depending on the type of materials consumed in the fire.  Fire-related odours and contaminants may linger for a long time after the initial fire incident.  SEL can perform testing services for a variety of potential contaminants (airborne and/or surface) generated during fire episodes to ensure that the area has been adequately restored and is acceptable for normal use while documenting conditions prior to reoccupancy. 

• Detailed HVAC Assessments and Airflow Measurements – The HVAC system of any building plays a significant role in air quality.  If improperly sized, balanced, maintained or operated the HVAC system can be the cause of poor IAQ.  SEL can assess several parameters of the HVAC system (including airflow rates, filtration efficiency, and air quality) in addition to a review of operation & maintenance practices to ensure that the units are operating properly and contributing to good air quality rather than bad.

• Duct Cleaning Determination, Testing and Evaluation – Under certain conditions, debris may accumulate within the ductwork and can contribute to poor IAQ.  However, duct cleaning itself can lead to greater air quality problems (through dislodging of settled dust, etc.) if performed improperly.  SEL can provide services during all stages of duct cleaning (from initial assessment to final inspection and testing) to ensure that work is performed adequately and to document conditions.

• Education & Training – SEL offers IAQ training courses designed to address the needs of property managers and building operations & maintenance personnel.  In addition, SEL can tailor IAQ awareness presentations for office employees and tenants.  Please refer to our training section for further details.

 Additional IAQ Information