ASHRAE has forged an epidemic task force to volunteer expert guidance on the setup of temporary field hospitals in non-traditional health care venues, such as convention centres and arenas. The 14-member group, largely composed of engineers, but also including an medical doctor, will additionally be a resource for all public and private facilities operators on the interplay of HVAC systems, indoor air quality and infection control.
“We have assembled an outstanding group of experts to serve on the task force,” says its chair, William Bahnfleth, who served as ASHRAE president in 2013-14. “They are high-level building professionals with collective experience in design, construction, operations and research, who are well qualified to offer guidance on how to protect building occupants and support health care facility needs during the uncertainty of an epidemic.”
The task force will take on the following roles:
- Serving as a clearinghouse to review all technical questions and requests for technical guidance submitted to ASHRAE
- Coordinating activities of ASHRAE’s internal resources
- Partnering with and monitoring the activities of external organizations, including the more than 60 affiliated global organizations related to the HVAC&R industry
- Reviewing, organizing, consolidating and publishing clear and concise summaries with citations of the most relevant information available to the built environment
“ASHRAE is a global, grassroots organization of more than 57,000 members in 130 countries so we have boots on the ground around the world,” Bahnfleth observes. “Our members and chapters take the initiative to help wherever they are and are already addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.”
