University of California, Santa Cruz
OP-5: Indoor Air Quality

Inspections, monitoring, investigations, preventing and resolving IAQ issues, construction project support, HVAC cleaning, factsheets and guidance documents, project support, mold mitigation, and smoking policy.

The UC Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools document is the primary written procedures related to monitoring and auditing and is available at: http://ucih.ucdavis.edu/docs/iaqtools2010.pdf. Chapter 1 outlines processes and procedures for responding to IAQ complaints. This chapter also provides various form templates that can be used when gathering information. Chapter 2 and 3 lists HVAC Design, Construction and Maintenance routine procedures for preventing IAQ problems. Chapter 4 provides details on Sampling for Microbial Contamination.

Indoor Air Quality monitoring is performed on an as needed basis based on the concerns of the occupant. EH&S has IAQ monitoring equipment and staff expertise to perform a variety of services in this area. If necessary, the campus will hire specialty consultants to follow up with specific requests that are beyond the scope of the campus EH&S office. Occupants can register concerns through several mechanisms: 1) the Main EH&S webpage button for reporting a hazard; 2) The campus Injury and Illness Prevention Program provides forms and information for submitting a Hazard Alert notice. These can submitted electronically or by hard copy and also allow for anonymous complaints to be filed. Although not specific to IAQ complaints, the form is generic and has been used for IAQ concern reporting many times; 3) by calling the main EH&S phone number and; 4) by sending an email to ehs@ucsc.edu.

Indoor air quality has become a matter of increased concern in the UCSC campus community. This is not surprising since most of us spend 80 to 90 percent of our time indoors. The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EH&S) is routinely asked to address IAQ concerns and has gathered several informative documents available via links on their website.

The square footage is based on the University of California's "Outside Gross Square Feet" (OGSF) definition and includes buildings at 1156 High Street, 2300 Delaware, and 100 Shaffer Road. Unoccupied support structures under 100 sf were not included.