Servicing disasters in a changing climate

The Indoor Air Quality Association of Australia (IAQAA) is holding a day seminar in Melbourne on Friday, March 27, titled Servicing Disasters in a Changing Climate.

The workshop has been organised as a space for discussing the experiences of people working in extreme events such as bushfires and floods, many of whom are seriously impacted by air quality issues. This includes emergency services such as firefighters and Defence personnel, but also many HVAC practitioners.

“The workshop builds a framework around risks we face with the air we breathe and the heat we feel when we face post-disaster or catastrophic events, as well as around our coping mechanisms when working under extreme environments,” says the IAQAA’s Scott Summerville, M.AIRAH.

“The day is purpose-built to keep you safer when working in difficult circumstances. Given the recent fires and the impact on the health and wellbeing of building occupants, there will be some interesting information for the air conditioning professional.”

The day consists of four sessions:

• Responding to an increasingly extreme climate
• Operating with resilience under extreme conditions
• Better managing risks to physical and mental health in disaster work
• Forecasting climate and air quality conditions to reduce personal and business risk.

Keynote speaker Professor David Karoly, leader of climate change research at CSIRO, will discuss what the extreme weather is predicted to look like across Australia. Also on the program is Lieutenant Nicole Murphy, Leading Environmental Health Officer and first responder from the Australian Army, who will explain how they prepare for disaster events and manage indoor air quality in field hospitals.

They will be followed by an array of industry experts. For more details and to register, click here.