Keeping indoor air safe from terrorists

A toxic chemical released into an air-handling system will spread throughout a building in less than five minutes. While the probability of such an attack has not been quantified, it is the kind of new concern that building owners and managers are addressing in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Information about how to secure air intakes and react to the release of toxins into an HVAC system has been posted to the Building Owners and Managers Association’s new Indoor Air Quality Resource Center (www.boma.org/iaq).

A key to prevention, suggests the article, is to secure the outside air intakes and block access to potential intruders. Other tips include putting locks and alarms on the intakes, installing decoys, and camouflaging the intakes.

Terrorist threats are only one of many topics covered on the Indoor Air Quality pages. Other documents focus on mold and mildew, pest management, smoking, and cleaning operations.

Photo © Corbis Images.

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