COVID-19 re-opening guidelines & services

healthy ventilation

building operation during COVID-19

While COVID-19 continues to threaten public health, safe ventilation practices are key to reducing virus transmission in buildings.

Management and facility staff should be aware of ASHRAE's safe building operation guidelines for modifying HVAC operations to mitigate virus transmission and adapt them to their buildings.

We offer several free resources for developing healthy building operation procedures and consulting services for expert planning and verification of safe ventilation practices.

social distance conference room covid-19 reopening business guide healthy ventilation kw engineering

get your free COVID-19 safe building operation guide

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recommendations for COVID-19 mitigation in buildings

Before implementing any recommendation, we advise you seek assistance from a qualified building professional or engineers such as ourselves to ensure occupant safety.

When facing limited funds to mitigate COVID-19 in your buildings, we recommend prioritizing efforts in the following order.

1. minimize exposure

Implement procedures to minimize contact and droplet exposure.

This can include mask-wearing, social distancing, working from home, staggered work shifts with limited staff, and more.

2. evaluate & re-commission HVAC

Evaluate and re-commission your HVAC systems as-needed to ensure building is operating per original design intent or current facility requirements.

For additional information on healthy ventilation rates read more in ASHRAE’s Standard 62.1.

3. selectively implement

Based on funds and risk mitigation effectiveness, selectively implement ASHRAE’s recommended changes to building operations.

questions on healthy ventilation practices?

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operations changes

manage COVID-19 mitigation impacts

increased energy use

 

Energy use and peak demand may increase with recommended operational changes if greater outside air is used in your building.

occupant comfort issues

 

Building occupants may feel uncomfortable on hot or cold days if your system does not have the capacity to heat or cool additional outside air flow.

additional equipment costs

 

Equipment may require increased maintenance and may need replacement to meet guidelines.

COVID-19

building operation services

We can help you plan and implement safe ventilation practices and manage any operational impacts of mitigating COVID-19.

office worker masked ventilation healthy workplace covid-19 kw engineering

building

readiness & implementation

Ensure safe ventilation rates and filtration with HVAC systems evaluation, testing and implementation services. We can also help plan future building repairs/remodels to be pandemic ready.

Reopening readiness assessments include the following:

  • Review mechanical design
  • Test existing system performance against original design
  • Deliver report and present findings of existing conditions and recommendations including:
    • Adjustments to existing HVAC systems
    • Added filtration
    • Increased ventilation
    • New/modified HVAC systems
    • Additional mitigation efforts (UVGI, Ionization, etc.)

safe building

operations training

Train facility staff or educate management on safe COVID building operation practices and impacts. We provide remote training and presentations tailored to your facility type.

 
building facility remote training healthy workplace covid-19 operations kw engineering (2)

start verifying your HVAC systems

Ready to get started planning or verifying your safe ventilation operation? Have questions?
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modes & facility types

building considerations

Appropriate building operation modes based on occupancy and pandemic conditions as well as facility type should be considered when making HVAC changes.

ASHRAE
occupancy modes

 

  • Occupied – Pre-COVID Capacity
  • Occupied – Reduced Capacity
  • Temporarily Unoccupied
  • Indefinitely Unoccupied
  • Re-Opening After Closure
  • Occupied – Post-COVID

facility types

 

  • Office
  • School
  • Institutional
  • Commercial
  • Lab
  • Transportation
free tools

additional resources

These tools and resources can help inform your plan and efforts navigating the changing pandemic landscape.

covid-19 whitepaper recommendations building healthy workplace covid-19 operations kw engineering (1)

related reading

guides & recommendations

 

How to Operate Your Building Safely and Efficiently Through the COVID Era Guide. 
Download our free guide on how to safely operate HVAC systems to maximize occupant safety.  

Whitepaper: The Wells-Riley Equation and Covid-19: Reducing Risk in Indoor Environments.
Read about how this equation can help building operators understand the effect of different strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through building HVAC systems. 

COVID-19 Building Operation Blog Posts.
Deep dive into relevant posts from our engineers.

calculators

free tools

Outside Air Ventilation Load Estimator. Learn more about the impacts on your building load when adjusting outside air percentages with our free ventilation load estimator. 

Probability of Infection Calculator. Learn more about the estimated effectiveness of different strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in buildings.

 
covid-19 infection risk calculator ventilation building healthy workplace covid-19 operations kw engineering
ASHRAE covid-19 building readiness kw engineering

ASHRAE

COVID-19 response resources

get your free COVID-19 safe building operation guide

I am interested in updates on:

By submitting my email, I agree to receive occasional emails from kW Engineering. 

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