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Tag: coronavirus
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HVAC&R cleared to work through new restrictions
For the past week the HVAC&R and wider building industry has been scrambling to assess the impacts that stricter COVID-19 restrictions will have on businesses and employees. On August 2, the Victorian government declared a state of disaster and imposed new Stage 4 lockdown measures. Rules around workplaces, which extend to construction sites, were further […]
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New REHVA guidelines focus on airborne COVID-19
The European Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) has released an updated guide on how to operate HVAC and other building service systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. The revised document puts a greater emphasis on the potential for airborne transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly, it proposes an infection […]
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COVID-19 treatment facility completed inside 12 weeks
A Melbourne building that formerly served as part of the Peter MacCallum Hospital has been converted into a specialist 84-bed COVID-19 treatment facility inside three months. Completed as part of the Victorian government’s $1.9 billion health funding boost, St Vincent’s on the Park has substantially increased Victoria’s ability to deal with pandemic patients. Head contractor […]
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ASHRAE releases reopening guide for schools
The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has developed guidance on the operation of HVAC systems to help mitigate the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease) as US schools prepare to reopen for a new academic year. ASHRAE’s position is that “transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the air is sufficiently likely that airborne exposure […]
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A big data lens on COVID-19
As building owners and facilities managers grapple with the task of keeping occupants safe in a post-COVID-19 world, one discipline that may provide answers is big data and analytics. Amber Keogh is Manager of Transformational Projects at Hendry, a leading built-form advisory firm, and also the keynote speaker at AIRAH’s Big Data and Analytics Forum, […]
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‘Watching brief’ on airborne COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged growing concerns surrounding the airborne transmission of the coronavirus, following the publication of an open letter addressed to the Geneva-based agency, but says more evidence is still required. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the organisation has advised that the virus is primarily spread through large respiratory droplets […]
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COVID-19 likely to be airborne, claim 239 experts
More than 200 scientists from over 30 countries have signed an open letter urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to take the role of airborne spread of COVID-19 more seriously. Published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, the letter titled “It is Time to Address Airborne Transmission of COVID-19” challenges the view held by the […]
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Efficiency key to recovery
An online summit called Energy Efficiency and Australia’s Economic Recovery has been scheduled on July 1 to discuss how energy efficiency and energy management can help support Australia’s economic recovery post-COVID-19. The forum is being delivered by the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC), the […]
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Free webinars on re-opening buildings
AIRAH as part of its relationship with the ASHRAE Associate Society Alliance will offer three free webinars focused on mitigating potential health risks during re-opening of buildings closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As buildings begin to reopen after the COVID-19 closures, it is important to make sure that building readiness plans are in place for […]
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US HVAC&R professionals weathering COVID-19 crisis
The results are in from a survey exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US HVAC&R professionals. The survey was conducted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). About 3,000 of its members replied to “ASHRAE’s Survey of the Impact of COVID-19 on Members Professionally and Their Businesses”, which explored […]
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Apprentices hammered by COVID-19 crisis
Industry is calling for urgent government measures as Australian apprentice numbers plummet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Australian Apprenticeship Association (NAAA), about 5.5 per cent of apprentices and trainees have been suspended or cancelled since March 1. National employer association the Ai Group says that apprentice commencements are down 60 per […]
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AMCA advice on COVID-19 and HVAC
The Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors’ Association (AMCA) has released a position statement on the role of HVAC systems in mitigating the risks of airborne transmission of COVID-19. In the statement, the AMCA recognises that ventilation and air filtration provided by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) can reduce the airborne concentration of COVID-19 […]
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IAQAA updates draft on COVID-19 guidelines
The Australian Chapter of Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) has released a new Draft Reference and Guidelines for Post Cleaning Validation of Buildings Contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. This is an updated version of the original Draft of guidelines, published in April, on the validation of post-cleaning work in buildings where a person infected with COVID-19 was […]
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Legionella on the rise in Sydney
As governments begin easing COVID-19 restrictions, the NSW Ministry of Health (NSW Health) has issued a reminder that building owners and occupiers have a legal obligation to ensure air conditioning cooling towers are properly maintained, to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease. “There has been an increase in cases of Legionnaires’ disease across the Sydney […]
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ASHRAE’s guide to reopening buildings
The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has developed guidance on how to reduce potential health risks when buildings reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. 2019–20 ASHRAE President Darryl Boyce says we have reached a time where planning for a safe return to normal activities has become a priority. “Safe operation of HVAC and building water management systems […]
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Restarting hibernating HVAC systems
The Property Council of Australia, Facility Management Association (FMA) and the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) have called on building owners and facilities managers to commence careful planning for the safe reopening of commercial buildings and workplaces across Australia. The advice comes as the national cabinet and state governments announce easing […]
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Opinion: Can HVAC systems spread COVID-19?
By Craig Roussac, M.AIRAH. All buildings are created for people, and building owners must ensure they are safe. But unfortunately, as with most things in life, there is no guidebook setting out the “ideal” way to achieve that outcome. This is especially true in a pandemic. Over recent days, research has been published in the journal Nature that […]
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Speculation rife on airborne COVID-19
New studies have fuelled speculation about COVID-19 spreading through the air, and emphasised the vital role that HVAC systems will play in controlling the virus. Since the beginning of the outbreak, the World Health Organization has advised that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets. When someone with […]
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ASHRAE issues statements on COVID-19
In response to “widening false statements” in the US advising people not to run residential or commercial HVAC systems because of COVID-19, ASHRAE has issued its own statements on the matter. “In light of the current global pandemic, it’s critically important that ASHRAE responds with guidance on mitigating the transmission of the virus, as well […]
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ISHRAE releases COVID-19 Guidance Document
It may have emerged originally in Wuhan, China, but the COVID-19 coronavirus has touched upon everyone almost everywhere, including in India. With the potential for casualties in the densely populated nation immense, and confusing abounding, the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers has released the ISHRAE COVID-19 Guidance Document. “India, with the […]