AMCA Australia is hosting the Building Ventilation Summit as a virtual event on February 24 and 25. “With airborne transmission now widely acknowledged as the primary source of COVID-19 transmission, the building industry has a vital role to play in supporting Australians to return to workplaces and other indoor settings confidently, safely, and sustainably,” says […]
The Victorian Department of Health has published guidelines on ventilation principles and strategies to reduce aerosol transmission of COVID-19. With the release of the document, the Victorian government has gone further than other jurisdictions in providing detailed information and advice on the subject of COVID-19 and ventilation. The state is still recording a high number […]
AIRAH has released a guide to COVID-19 ventilation optimisation aimed at primary and secondary schools. Authored by Brad Prezant, Affil.AIRAH, the guide offers readers a better understanding of airborne transmission and building ventilation systems found in schools in Australia. It also provides advice about building a strategy for different facilities. It is intended as a […]
Safe Work Australia has updated its guidance on improving ventilation in indoor workspaces to minimise the risks of COVID-19, including information about modifying HVAC systems. The information is a key resource for employers, who have a duty under the model Work Health and Safety laws to minimise the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace so […]
Researchers at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine have been attempting to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a building by testing the air passing through the HVAC systems. The team hopes this could lead to earlier detection of the virus, improved quarantine protocols, reduced transmission, and fewer outbreaks. Researchers collected samples from two large student dormitories […]
The AIRAH Infection Control and Operating Theatre Practices Special Technical Group (STG) has produced a document that looks at the advantages, disadvantages and risks of common COVID-19 practices in operating theatres. The document provides considerations related to various measures that may be employed in operating rooms to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This includes negative […]
New research has highlighted the effectiveness of a specific wavelength of UV light in limiting the spread of COVID-19 without harming humans. According to the team at University of Colorado Boulder, the study is the first to comprehensively analyse the effects of different wavelengths of UV light on SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. Researchers also […]
A coalition of nine industry peak bodies has called for the development of credible, government-endorsed, public information regarding the airborne transmission of COVID-19 and the importance of indoor air quality. A letter addressed to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, has been signed by the Association of Consulting Architects, the Australian Institute […]
The Victorian government has announced it will invest more than $190 million in initiatives to support a COVID-safe reopening of schools, with a focus on ventilation. Billed by the government as “the biggest investment in education ventilation in Australian history”, the initiative will see 51,000 air purification devices rolled out to all government and low-fee […]
Clive Broadbent, AM, L.AIRAH, is a world-renowned expert on microbial control and was involved in responding to the SARS outbreak in 2003. At that time he formed part of a WHO team that travelled to China to analyse the spread of the virus and produce guidelines on laboratory standards, hospital practices and appropriate ventilation for […]