United States. ASHRAE announced a Society-wide effort to respond to the current global COVID-19 pandemic and provide guidance on how to ensure buildings are prepared for future epidemics.
The ASHRAE Epidemic Working Group has been established to help deploy ASHRAE's technical resources to address the challenges of the current pandemic and future epidemics as it relates to the effects of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems on disease transmission in healthcare facilities, the workplace, home, public and recreational environments. The task force will also provide recommendations for establishing temporary field hospitals in convention centers, arenas and indoor stadiums to deal with surges.
The main function of the working group is to maintain communication with members, industry partners, building owners, facility operators, government agencies and the general public. Specific responsibilities of the working group include:
- Serve as a clearinghouse to review all technical questions and requests for technical guidance submitted to ASHRAE
- Coordinate activities of ASHRAE's internal resources
- Partner with and monitor the activities of external organizations, including the more than 60 members of the ASHRAE Associate Society Alliance (AASA) of organizations related to the HVAC&R industry worldwide
- Review, organization, consolidation and publication of clear and concise summaries with citations of the most relevant information available for the built environment.
ASHRAE 2013-14 Presidential Member William Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P.E., will chair the task force.
"We have assembled an excellent group of experts to serve on the working group," Bahnfleth said. "They are high-level construction professionals with collective expertise in design, construction, operations and research, who are well qualified to offer guidance on how to protect building occupants and support the needs of healthcare facilities during the uncertainty of an epidemic."
Leading experts in medicine and public health will serve as consultants for the working group.
For the names of the working group, click here.
