The ANSI Federation and standardization community are stepping up with guidance, resources, and initiatives to support public health and safety and the nation’s recovery. Suggestions for news items may be submitted to [email protected]. All submissions are published at ANSI’s discretion.
White House Summit Focuses on Improving Indoor Air Quality
Experts in public health and ventilation, private sector and education leaders, and other stakeholders spoke about the benefits of improved indoor air quality to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during a recent White House Summit on Improving Indoor Air Quality. The October event highlighted several businesses and schools that are proactive in their improvements to enhance indoor air quality and elaborated on the administration’s nationwide goals to improve air quality in buildings.
Among its leading initiatives to achieve better air quality, the administration encourages businesses to partake in the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge, launched this year as a key component of President Biden’s National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The challenge is a call to action for organizational leaders, building owners, and operators of all types to assess their indoor air quality and facilitate ventilation, air filtration, and air cleaning improvements to help keep building occupants safe. The guide, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other federal agencies, includes a set of recommendations that all building owners and operations can follow to improve indoor air quality.
EPA Issues Request for Information on Air Ventilation
The White House Summit on Improving Air Quality also highlighted the EPA's RFI issued to gather insights about actions, strategies, tools, and approaches that support ventilation, filtration, and air cleaning improvements to help mitigate disease transmission.
Supporting the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, the EPA RFI seeks feedback on current opportunities that can be implemented quickly and with existing resources, with a particular emphasis on schools and commercial buildings.
RFI responses are due by December 5, 2022. Access the EPA’s RFI and the Readout of the White House Summit on Improving Indoor Air Quality.
See more ANSI member efforts in the ANSI COVID-19 Resource Webpage Highlighting the Standardization Community’s Response.