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ASHRAE Smoking Space Ventilation Standard Clears Final Hurdle 

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Board of Standards Review has denied appeals of an addendum to the ASHRAE ventilation standard that provides requirements for ventilation in indoor spaces where smoking occurs.

ANSI/ASHRAE Addendum 62o to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2001, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, is available for free at http://www.ashrae.org/template/PDFDetail/assetid/24653.

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• Second-hand smoke debate heating up 

Proposed national building-design rules could require alterations to businesses' indoor smoking areas and increase lawsuits in the Las Vegas Valley -- even if the rules are not adopted locally.

That's according to H.E. "Barney" Burroughs, an indoor air consultant from Georgia and an expert on the issue.

Each local government can choose whether to adopt the rules, but non-smoking patrons could sue casinos and restaurants that choose not to take extra pre- cautions since the technology to improve indoor air quality exists, Burroughs said.

If the bottom line is more important to businesses than their patrons' health, their lack of action could lead to multi-million dollar lawsuits, said Burroughs, past president of the technical group that wrote the rules.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. (ASHRAE) wrote the rules, which are often adopted into building codes. . . .

If passed, the rules would require the addition of barriers between smoking and non-smoking areas, the posting of signs to warn patrons that tobacco smoke may be present in areas where smoking is allowed and increased ventilation in non-smoking areas.

The rules are not only enforceable, but also can be legally interpreted as a standard of care, Burroughs said. . . .

Elia Sterling, an indoor air consultant to the gaming industry, said that the way the proposed rules are written now casinos would be able to make changes to come into compliance. His concern is that while the gaming industry may meet the building code standards, the courts could decide that a higher standard of care should be in place. . . .

Sterling said ASHRAE committee members decided this week at an ASHRAE conference that if businesses that allow smoking add ventilation to those areas, they would be in compliance with the rules.

"It's a very important interpretation for us," Sterling said.

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Call for Papers -- October 2003 

• Ventilation of Smoking Spaces Explored in Seminar 

A recently published addendum to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2001, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, contains a non-mandatory appendix that describes a method for ventilating spaces where smoking takes place. Its purpose is to achieve comfort and not to address health effects.

"The harmful nature of secondhand smoke is not questioned by mainstream scientists," Lawrence Schoen, P.E., Schoen Engineering Inc., Columbia, Md., said. "And the actions of ASHRAE acknowledge that acceptable indoor cannot be achieved in the presence of secondhand smoke. Does the appendix accomplish even its limited stated goal of comfort? To what health and liability risks does publication of such material expose ASHRAE and its users, such as designers, installers, operators and occupants?"

Issues surrounding the ventilation of smoking spaces will be addressed in a seminar at the ASHRAE 2004 Winter Meeting, Jan. 24-28,

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• Air space / Technical group, casino officials clash over smoking restrictions 

A technical group is proposing rules restricting tobacco smoke that could add burdens to casinos, bars and restaurants where smokers are plentiful.

Casino officials say the rules would not only hurt their industry but also could extinguish smoking indoors entirely.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc. wrote the rules, which are often adopted into building codes. . . .

If adopted by local governments, the rules would apply to new construction and remodeling projects. It would be up to local building departments to decide whether existing buildings have to comply.

The new requirements would include adding barriers between smoking and nonsmoking areas, posting signs to warn patrons that tobacco smoke may be present in areas where smoking is allowed and increasing ventilation in nonsmoking areas. The requirements are part of an ASHRAE standard that is under continuous review by a committee. Changes are made as new research and technology become available. . . .

The way the standards are written makes it difficult to create an economical, energy-efficient system in casinos and other places that allow indoor smoking, said Elias Sterling, an air-quality consultant to the American Gaming Association and president of Theodor Sterling Associates Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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The air inside Bellagio is better than the air outside.
Elias Sterling, an air-quality consultant to the American Gaming Association and president of Theodor Sterling Associates Ltd. Theodor Sterling was the recipient of AirSpace's 2001 "Bedfellows Award." See <a href="http://airspace.bc.ca/pressrel23.html">http://airspace.bc.ca/pressrel23.html</a>

• Letters [Source: ASHRAE Journal] 

• ANSI Denies Appeals to ASHRAE Smoking Space Ventilation Addendum 

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Board of Standards Review has denied appeals of an addendum to the ASHRAE ventilation standard that provides requirements for ventilation in indoor spaces where smoking occurs. . . .

The addendum was approved for publication at ASHRAE's 2002 Annual Meeting, and six appeals later were filed. ASHRAE denied the appeals at its 2003 Winter Meeting. In a decision announced September 22, the ANSI Board of Standards Review voted to deny all appeals made to that organization, thereby upholding its earlier approval of the addendum.

Addendum 62o changes the table of outdoor air ventilation requirements in the standard to apply to non-smoking spaces only, including the deletion of smoking lounges from the table. In the same table, a footnote is added explaining that the table applies to no smoking areas, according to David Butler, chair of the Standard 62 committee. Rates for some spaces were lowered based on their application to only non-smoking spaces.

The addendum also addresses ventilation in smoking areas by requiring these areas to have more ventilation and air cleaning. It also prohibits recirculation or transfer of air from smoking to non-smoking areas.

In adding the requirement for additional ventilation and air cleaning, it is noted that the specific amount of additional ventilation cannot be determined until cognizant health authorities have determined an acceptable level of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), according to Butler. . . .

additional ventilation is for the purpose of odor control only

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• ANSI Upholds Approval of ASHRAE Smoking Addendum 

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Board of Standards Review has denied appeals of an addendum to the ASHRAE ventilation standard that provides requirements for ventilation in indoor spaces where smoking occurs.

ANSI/ASHRAE Addendum 62o to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2001, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, was approved for publication at ASHRAE's 2002 Annual Meeting, and six appeals were later filed. ASHRAE denied the appeals at its 2003 Winter Meeting. In a decision announced Sept. 22, the ANSI Board of Standards Review voted to deny all appeals made to that organization, thereby upholding its earlier approval of the addendum. . .

Addendum 62o changes the table of outdoor air ventilation requirements in the standard to apply to non-smoking spaces only, including the deletion of smoking lounges from the table. In the same table, a footnote is added explaining that the table applies to "no smoking" areas, according to David Butler, chair of the Standard 62 committee. Rates for some spaces were lowered based on their application to only non-smoking spaces.

The addendum also addresses ventilation in smoking areas by requiring these areas to have more ventilation and air cleaning. It also prohibits re-circulation or transfer of air from smoking to non-smoking areas.

In adding the requirement for additional ventilation and air cleaning, it is noted that the specific amount of additional ventilation cannot be determined until cognizant health authorities have determined an acceptable level of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), according to Butler. . .

this additional ventilation is for the purpose of odor control only

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• A Nonsmoking Standard 

An addendum that changes the ventilation requirements in ASHRAE's Standard 62 to apply only to nonsmoking spaces while still providing design guidance for controlling odor in indoor spaces where smoking occurs is now available.

ANSI/ASHRAE Addendum 62o to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2001, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, is now available for free.

The addendum was approved for publication at ASHRAE's 2002 Annual Meeting, and six appeals later were filed. ASHRAE considered but denied the appeals at its 2003 Winter Meeting. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the addendum but appeals have been filed. The addendum remains ANSI-approved unless appeals are later upheld.

Addendum 62o changes the table of outdoor air ventilation requirements in the standard to apply to nonsmoking spaces only, including the deletion of smoking lounges from a table on outdoor air requirements for ventilation. . .

An informative appendix (meaning it is not required for compliance for the standard) that provides a method to allow designers to determine the additional ventilation over what would be provided in a similar nonsmoking area also is included. However, this additional ventilation is for the purpose of odor control only, according to Persily.

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Standard 62's Multiple Spaces Equation: For Design, NOT Control 

ome authors1,2 and control sales people advocate control systems to dynamically track a building's critical zones and then adjust the ventilation rate to ensure compliance with Standard 62. Although the theory of these systems sounds great, until sensors can physically count each individual in the space and then adjust the multiple spaces equation based on occupancy, only part of the equation is changing dynamically.

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Designing for Smoking Rooms 

Following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's classification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) as a Group A carcinogen in 1992, California passed legislation in 1994 (Assembly Bill 131) prohibiting most employers from exposing nonsmoking workers to ETS. As a result of this legislation, workplace smoking restrictions were added to the California Labor Code.2 This statute prohibits any employer from knowingly or intentionally permitting the smoking of tobacco products in enclosed places of employment.

Prohibition of smoking at the workplace does not apply to breakrooms designated by employers for smoking, under specified conditions. There are additional exemptions to specific workplaces that are not related to the subject matter in this article.

AUTHORS: By L. Alevantis, Associate Member ASHRAE, J. Wagner, W. Fisk, Member ASHRAE, D. Sullivan, D. Faulkner, L. Gundel, J. Waldman, and P. Flessel

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• Honeywell : Clean Air Solutions 

Indoor air quality is a term used to characterize the acceptability of the indoor air. Indoor Air Quality is defined as: "The nature of air that affects the health and well-being of occupants."

That's a powerful definition. Air that affects the health and well-being of occupants. That encompasses ourselves, our employees and our customers. Indoor Air Quality is very important when it comes to keeping our customers happy and returning. But how do we accomplish that? What constitutes acceptable air quality?

Well, acceptable indoor air quality is defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) as: "Air in which there are no known contaminants at harmful concentrations and with which a substantial majority (usually 80%) of the people exposed do not express dissatisfaction." . . .

The World Health Organization has defined health as: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Indoor air quality can effect everyone who walks into a building. And if the indoor air quality is poor it can result in lost employees and lost customers. And that can result in lost revenue. . .

Tobacco Smoke Studies

AIHA Journal (American Industrial Hygiene Association) - Occupational Exposure of Nonsmoking Nightclub Musicians to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

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• Federal Update : Indoor Air Quality: ASHRAE Petition to Establish a Project Committee for the Hospitality Industry 

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) abandoned its longtime practical engineering approach to ventilation (Standard 62 'Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality') in favor of changes that would effectively ban smoking nationwide in all hospitality venues, including casinos, with the possible exception of Native American facilities.

Action: Hospitality industries, including gaming, have mounted a petition effort for a new standard specific to their businesses that provides practical engineering guidance for the design and operation of ventilation systems in facilities that allow smoking. . .

The members of the American Gaming Association (AGA) are committed to managing the indoor environment in casinos in a manner that provides the highest level of safety and comfort for their employees and customers.

The AGA supports reasonable, science-based solutions to indoor air quality (IAQ) concerns. We believe that state-of-the-art air treatment systems, which are in place in most casinos built today, are part of that solution, supplemented by large amounts of outside air and clearly defined smoking areas.

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Secondhand News 

For engineers, the debate involves whether traditional hvac systems can dilute the presence of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) to sufficiently low levels so as not to be harmful to those who do not smoke. Nonsmoking groups say it's not possible regardless of the type of equipment used, while hospitality organizations say that proper ventilation and air filtration can make it almost impossible to detect ETS odors.

Several cities across the country have already banned the use of tobacco in restaurants and public gathering places, which delights nonsmoking groups. Smokers, however, contend that the use of tobacco is legal in the United States and as such, they have a right to use it in public.

ASHRAE decided it was time to weigh in on the issue during its recent Winter Meeting in Atlantic City, NJ, primarily due to the fact that hospitality organizations have lobbied the Society for its own IAQ standard. ASHRAE sponsored two sessions at the recent meeting, both of which addressed whether or not there is a need for a separate IAQ standard for the hospitality industry.

Many believe that the issues involving IAQ and the hospitality industry can be addressed under the Society's flagship IAQ standard, Standard 62. Others state that ASHRAE has created separate IAQ standards for aircraft cabins and medical facilities, so one should be created for the hospitality industry as well, as it has issues specific to its businesses.

ASHRAE has yet to make a decision concerning this issue, but one thing's for sure: Everyone's buzzing about what the Society should and shouldn't do.

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Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire (January 2000) 

Gian Turci, P.E. (Genoa, Italy), chief executive officer of FORCES International, adds that even though secondhand smoke contains all the combustion byproducts of organic materials, it is also true that:

The quantities of these components, even in so-called "high concentrations," are infinitesimally small . . .

"Secondhand smoke is not Uranium 238, nor is it Lawrencium 260. It is just something that may be unpleasant to some," adds Turci. . .

Brian Monk, P.E., vice president of sales and marketing, Circul-Aire (Montreal) agrees that the proper technology can work.

"The engineer needs to be smart about laying out a restaurant, so that the smoking area can be kept under a negative pressure. If the air is sweeping towards that area instead of leaving that area, the contaminants can be contained and will never get back to where the nonsmokers are sitting. The air from the smoking area then will be either exhausted outside or filtered with a multifaceted filtration system to address all the contaminants that are in the cigarette smoke." . .

Elia Sterling, president, Theodor Sterling and Associates (Vancouver, BC, Canada) says that operation and maintenance definitely play a key role. "The hospitality industry has to understand operation and maintenance. Patrons have had bad experiences usually where the hospitality establishment has not been maintaining and operating their systems properly." . .

James Repace, a former EPA policy analyst and physicist who is now a secondhand smoke consultant (Bowie, MD) is another who is skeptical about using filtration for cigarette smoke.

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