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WHO backs industry stance on airborne threat


he World Health Organisation (WHO) has belatedly acknowledged the threat posed by airborne transmission of the coronavirus following months of warnings from ventilation and air quality experts.


WHO officials said “evidence was emerging” that Covid-19 can spread through the air in enclosed spaces. A number of scientists have, therefore, pointed out that building ventilation systems will be crucial in limiting the chances of “super spreader” events in enclosed environments that could spark a second wave of the pandemic. Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead for infection prevention and control, said that evidence emerging of airborne transmission of the coronavirus in “crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings…cannot be ruled out”.


The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) said this supported the position taken by many indoor air quality (IAQ) experts that facilities managers should be revisiting their ventilation strategies to minimise possible transmission risks as more buildings reopen following the lockdown period.


“We have been arguing since the early days of the pandemic that ventilation can play a crucial role in reducing the threat of virus transmission,” said Nathan Wood, chair of BESA’s Health & Wellbeing in Buildings group. “We should also consider the wider deployment of air purification technologies, which are now being used more regularly in healthcare settings.”


Permaroof achieves Two Months of RecordBreaking Sales


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ermaroof, importer and distributor of Firestone RubberCover, is celebrating its most successful May and June in its 19- year history despite the nationwide challenges faced by all businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic.


With a 26% increase in sales in May 2020 compared to 2019 and a staggering 86% increase when comparing June 2019 to 2020, it’s been two amazing consecutive months for the Derbyshire- based team with the likelihood of a healthy July too. This follows reports of 2019 being its most successful year to date with 24,000 orders completed: the highest figure in its history.


After increasing its warehouse capacity in 2019, as well as broadening its offering by acquiring The Skylight Company and becoming the sole distributor of Permafence, the team met the challenges posed by coronavirus rapidly and decisively.


Additional stock had already been purchased in preparation for Brexit, ensuring ample supply to meet any level of demand from contractors, many of which still needed to fix damaged and leaking roofs in need of urgent maintenance. New products were also added to Permaroof’s portfolio including a disinfectant spray to help customers work safely, while investment in the team was crucial with a strong focus on marketing and a new marketing co- ordinator recruited to push out a formal communications strategy.


At the same time, Permaroof adapted its offering to work closely with modular companies for the first time, supplying fast flat roofing solutions to four emergency NHS projects in the first month of lockdown.


www.permaroof.co.uk


The WHO’s change of stance was prompted by an open letter written by 239 researchers in the fields of virology, aerosol physics and epidemiology from 32 countries quoting evidence that showed tiny particles containing the virus could become suspended in the air. “We wanted them to acknowledge the evidence,” said Jose Jimenez from the University of Colorado. “This is definitely not an attack on the WHO. It’s a scientific debate, but we felt we needed to go public because they were refusing to hear the evidence.” Another signatory, Professor Benjamin Cowling of Hong Kong University, said the finding had “important implications”. “In the community, if we're thinking about aerosol transmission being a particular risk, then we need to think about how to prevent super spreading events, larger outbreaks that occur in indoor environments with poor ventilation.”


Wood urged all facilities managers to revisit ventilation strategies in their buildings to ensure they were still fit for purpose. “Not only do we have this significant admission from the WHO, but many internal spaces have been changed to allow for social distancing,” he said. “Putting up partitions, for example, will change the pattern of air distribution.”


The WHO’s original position was that Covid-19 did not remain in the air, but was transmitted via droplets emitted when people cough or sneeze falling onto surfaces. That is why handwashing was seen as a key prevention measure. However, this new evidence suggests the virus can remain suspended in the air for some hours and could fundamentally change tactics for reducing transmission rates. Schools have become a key area of concern with more children return to poorly ventilated classrooms in recent weeks. A survey of 20 UK classrooms carried out by National Air Quality Testing Services (NAQTS) revealed very low air change rates in many that could increase the risk of virus transmission.


Developers put on Noce for £47bn Developerled Public Land Framework


s the UK begins to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, national framework provider Pagabo has put developers on notice for its new public sector framework, worth an estimated £47bn. Its first framework dedicated to developers will help construction return to a boom, allow developers the opportunity to secure new work through compliant procurement and help the NHS and public sector bodies with vital expansion plans. Acting on behalf of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Pagabo will establish a framework of developers capable of providing developer-led schemes within the UK for the whole of the public sector. The framework will cover all types of developer-led schemes within construction and premises.


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The framework will run for four years from September 2020, with the option to extend for a further 18 months to April 2026. It will be open to all public sector bodies including schools, universities, local authorities, police and emergency services, NHS organisations, health and social care providers and housing associations, as well as central government departments and the Ministry of Defence.


Jason Stapley, managing director at Pagabo, said: “We have been in consultation with key developers and local authorities since September 2019 and are really pleased to be bringing the first developer-led framework to the market at this time to help public sector bodies procure work with developers that is critical to building a better future. “Government has already indicated that infrastructure around the UK is to be a focus – and a huge part of a ‘return to normal’, and a framework that allows developers the ability to procure works through a compliant, and simple to use framework that will help with creating a more robust sector all round.”


The framework features three lots: Property Development via Joint Venture (JV) and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Long Income Lease and Lease Back, and Property Development Single Site by Development Agreement. These three lots will cover a huge variety of works including, but not limited to, social housing, commercial buildings, student accommodation, arenas and stadia. The procurement will involve a single stage process following a Public Contract Regulations 2015 Open Procedure.


6 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AUGUST 2020


“Our study showed that some classrooms had air change rates below 0.5 per hour and that even small increases in flow rates could significantly reduce the risk of infection,” said NAQTS chief executive Douglas Booker. “Raising airflows from zero to 100 m3/hr cuts the risk by up to 60%. However, there are gradually diminishing rates of return from increasing it beyond that level.”


Speaking on a webinar hosted by BESA, he said it was important to focus on what was “reasonably achievable”, particularly in an education setting where budgets are constrained, but that low cost adjustments to ventilation were a good investment. “The important thing is having quality information and we are using the level of CO2 to show whether the ventilation is working as intended,” said Booker. “This crisis is an opportunity to improve the IAQ performance of buildings for the long-term, but we need to focus on affordability. There is a lot of money going into shiny new academies, but that risks increasing inequality even further by leaving older school buildings behind.”


He also cautioned against the use of “increased amounts of harsh chemicals” to clean indoor spaces as these could create “another type of indoor pollution”.


“We must not over-react to this crisis by over-sanitising our indoor environments. Simply ramping up cleaning procedures could create unintended consequences that do not address the full range of infection risks. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Booker said the WHO announcement and growing awareness of the risks posed by airborne pathogens inside buildings would spark greater demand for the specialist expertise of the building engineering sector.


“If a pandemic that forces people to spend almost all of their time indoors does not change attitudes to indoor air quality, then nothing will,” he told the BESA webinar.


Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


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