Webinar: ASHRAE Standard 241

The White House COVID-19 Response Team approached ASHRAE in 2022 regarding the need for better indoor air quality (IAQ) standards and encouraged ASHRAE to “take the lead in developing a new standard for control of airborne pathogens.” On December 6th, 2022 ASHRAE’s Board of Directors issued the authorization to develop a new standard and by June 24th 2023 ASHRAE’s Standards Committee published Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols. The Standard’s Foreword states the intent of ASHRAE’s Board to “incorporate” new HVAC requirements into this “groundbreaking” publication that will, in some form, be adopted into existing ASHRAE IAQ standards; specifically ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and 62.2. Standard 241 introduced language stating that a building’s HVAC system will have the capability of operating in an “infection risk management mode(IRMM)” that will increase the “equivalent clean airflow (ECAi)” rate at occupant breathing zones to reduce “long-range transmission.”



Dan Hahne, Varitec’s Director of High-Performance HVAC Solutions, will present on:

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Timeline and economic/human impact
How pathogenic transmission occurs within an occupied space
Review Standard’s 241 intent
Standard’s terms and definitions
Clarify what an infection risk management mode is and how it might be attained; i.e. increased outside air, filtered recirculated air, or other air disinfecting technologies
Testing of air disinfecting technologies
Air distribution and natural ventilation
Requirements for assessment, planning and implementation
Requirements for operation and maintenance