Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an OSHA Alert on improving workplace ventilation during cold weather. In it, the agency states that indoor air quality (IAQ) in the workplace during cold weather is especially critical while influenza, cold and COVID-19 viruses are circulating.
OSHA goes on to share that improving ventilation is a key engineering control that can be used to increase the delivery of clean air and remove or reduce the concentration of viral particles or other contaminants. Building managers may perform some steps to improve indoor air, while others should be conducted by qualified heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals.
Key steps to improve ventilation according to OSHA include:
• Inspecting air intake and exhaust ports to ensure they are clean and free of ice or snow.
• Replacing filters as necessary to ensure the proper function of the HVAC system.
• Having an HVAC professional conduct all regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance.
• Adding portable air cleaners with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in spaces with high occupancy or limited ventilation.
OSHA also reports that maintaining a healthy HVAC system requires an HVAC professional to:
• Ensure all HVAC systems are operating in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and design specifications.
• Maximize the amount of outdoor air supplied consistent with the heating capacity of the HVAC system. Rebalance or adjust HVAC systems to increase total airflow to occupied spaces. Total airflow includes both outside and recirculated air.
• Install air filters with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) 13 (or equivalent) or higher where feasible. If MERV-13 filters are not compatible with the HVAC system, use filters with the highest compatible filtering efficiency for the HVAC system.
• Clean HVAC system drain pans, heating and cooling coils, and supply/return registers to eliminate areas where contaminants can settle.
These are just a few of the many things to know about improving workplace ventilation during cold weather. To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an OSHA Alert on improving workplace ventilation during cold weather. In it, the agency states that indoor air quality (IAQ) in the workplace during cold weather is especially critical while influenza, cold and COVID-19 viruses are circulating.
OSHA goes on to share that improving ventilation is a key engineering control that can be used to increase the delivery of clean air and remove or reduce the concentration of viral particles or other contaminants. Building managers may perform some steps to improve indoor air, while others should be conducted by qualified heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals.
Key steps to improve ventilation according to OSHA include:
• Inspecting air intake and exhaust ports to ensure they are clean and free of ice or snow.
• Replacing filters as necessary to ensure the proper function of the HVAC system.
• Having an HVAC professional conduct all regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance.
• Adding portable air cleaners with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in spaces with high occupancy or limited ventilation.
OSHA also reports that maintaining a healthy HVAC system requires an HVAC professional to:
• Ensure all HVAC systems are operating in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and design specifications.
• Maximize the amount of outdoor air supplied consistent with the heating capacity of the HVAC system. Rebalance or adjust HVAC systems to increase total airflow to occupied spaces. Total airflow includes both outside and recirculated air.
• Install air filters with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) 13 (or equivalent) or higher where feasible. If MERV-13 filters are not compatible with the HVAC system, use filters with the highest compatible filtering efficiency for the HVAC system.
• Clean HVAC system drain pans, heating and cooling coils, and supply/return registers to eliminate areas where contaminants can settle.
These are just a few of the many things to know about improving workplace ventilation during cold weather. To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
CTSI ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
