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 (Complete
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Guidance for
Protecting Building Environments
from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks
May, 2002
DHHS
(NIOSH) Pub No.
2002-139 |
This document identifies actions that a building
owner or manager can implement without undue delay to enhance occupant
protection from an airborne chemical, biological, or radiological attack.
This document
includes information about:
 | What you can do
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| Specific
recommendations |
| Things not to do
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| Physical
security |
| Ventilation and
filtration |
| Maintenance,
administration, and training |
This
document is also available in PDF format
2002-139.pdf
40 pages, 841kb
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Foreword
Abbreviations
Acknowledgments
Ordering Information
Scope
Background
Preparatory Recommendation—Know your building
Specific Recommendations
Things not to do
Physical security
Ventilation and filtration
Maintenance, administration, and training
Conclusions
For Additional Information
Appendix A
Appendix B
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The
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 [Public Law 91-596] assures
so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and
healthful working conditions. The Act charges the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with conducting research
and making science based recommendations to prevent work-related
illness, injury, disability, and death.
On
October 8, 2001, the President of the United States established by
executive order the Office of Homeland Security (OHS), which is
mandated "to develop and coordinate the implementation of a
comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from
terrorist threats or attacks." In January 2002, the OHS formed the
Interagency Workgroup on Building Air Protection under the Medical and
Public Health Preparedness Policy Coordinating Committee of the OHS.
The Workgroup includes representatives from agencies throughout the
Federal government, including NIOSH, which is part of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
With U.S.
workers facing potential hazards associated with chemical, biological,
or radiological terrorism, the missions of the OHS and NIOSH overlap.
As with most hazards, there are preventive steps that can reduce the
likelihood and mitigate the impact of terrorist threats. Tried and
proven principles in the control of airborne contaminants can be
joined with similarly focused safety and security principles to
provide guidance on how we design and operate our building
environments. This document is the result of recent building
vulnerability assessments conducted by NIOSH, as well as significant
content and review recommendations provided by Workgroup members.
Prevention is the cornerstone of public and occupational health. This
document provides preventive measures that building owners and
managers can implement promptly to protect building air environments
from a terrorist release of chemical, biological, or radiological
contaminants. These recommendations, focusing on short term actions,
are only the beginning of a process to develop more comprehensive
guidance. Working with the Building Air Protection Workgroup, as well
as partners in the public and private sectors, NIOSH will continue to
build on this effort. This document is a useful first step in the
process.
Kathleen M. Rest, Ph.D., M.P.A. Acting Director
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health |
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ATSDR
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Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry CBR chemical, biological, or
radiological |
HVAC
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heating,
ventilating, and air-conditioning |
VAV
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variable
air volume
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CCTV
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closed-circuit television
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HEPA
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high
efficiency particulate air
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NIOSH
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National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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OHS
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Office of
Homeland Security
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PCC
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Policy
Coordinating Committee |
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The
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
developed this document in cooperation with the Interagency Workgroup
on Building Air Protection. NIOSH engineers Kenneth R. Mead, M.S.,
P.E. and Michael G. Gressel, Ph.D., C.S.P. are the principal authors.
The Interagency Workgroup on Building Air Protection was formed under
the Medical and Public Health Preparedness Policy Coordinating
Committee (PCC) of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The
Workgroup’s purpose is to focus on building air protection issues
associated with an airborne chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR)
attack. Workgroup participants provided guidance and direction at
several points during this document’s development. Their diverse
expertise and perspectives resulted in a set of real-world
recommendations intended to increase protection of building
environments from a terrorist’s chemical, biological, or radiological
attack. Participants on the Workgroup and their agency affiliations
may be found in Appendix A.
In
addition to the efforts of the Workgroup, the contributions of the
NIOSH Research Team on Building Vulnerabilities are greatly
appreciated. This team was augmented by representatives from Sandia
National Laboratories and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). Many of the recommendations found in this document
originated from the numerous vulnerability assessments conducted by
this team. Members of the team are listed in Appendix B.
Anne
Votaw, Pauline Elliott, Anne Stirnkorb, and Dick Carlson (NIOSH)
provided editorial support, produced the camera ready copy, and
prepared the graphics. Review and preparation for printing were
performed by Penny Arthur.
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To
receive documents or other information about occupational safety and
health topics, contact the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) at
NIOSH
Publications Dissemination
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998
Telephone: 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674)
Fax: 1-513-533-8573
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov
or visit
the NIOSH Web site at
www.cdc.gov/niosh
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This document is in the public domain and may be freely copied or
reprinted.
Disclaimer: Mention of any company, product, policy, or the
inclusion of any reference does not constitute endorsement by
NIOSH. |
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-139
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Medical Air Solutions,
Inc.
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1999-2012 Medical Air Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. 
