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#Webinar: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Improving indoor air quality can help reduce transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to create a healthier, safer environment for workers, residents, clients and visitors through:
- Simple, low-cost measures like portable air filtration and bathroom fans that exhaust to the outside;
- Optimizing Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems;
- Strategic use of upper-room ultra-violet disinfection;
- Practical protocols like clearing the air in the room between groups;
- Applying metrics such as CO2 levels to measure your progress as you go.
This webinar featured two experts in indoor air quality from the University of Toronto.
- Dr. Jeff Siegel is a professor in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto. He holds joint appointments at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences. His research interests include healthy and sustainable buildings, ventilation, and indoor air quality.
- Dr. Amy (Tianyuan) Li has a PhD from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her research interests are centred on the impact of filtration devices on indoor air quality.
#Recording and Slide Deck
The slide deck is available here as a PDF.
#Sponsors
The webinar was co-presented in partnership with the Indigenous Primary Healthcare Council.
Simultaneous American Sign Language translation was provided by Toronto Sign Language Interpreter Service, courtesy of the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions and the University of Toronto School for Cities.
#Other Resources
Near the end of their presentation, Dr. Siegel and Dr. Li shared three resources that can help you develop strategies for improving the indoor air quality in your space.
- Reducing transmission of respiratory illness in community spaces through improved indoor air quality (MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions).
- ASHRAE filtration/disinfection resources (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).
- Portable air cleaner (HEPA filter) buying guide (Clean Air Crew).
Dr. Siegel and Dr. Li are also offering free, 20-minute consultations for people who work in community and congregate spaces and have questions about improving indoor air quality. Time slots are filling up fast, but appointments are still available at 11:00 and 11:25 on April 12. Email Pearl Buhariwala to schedule yours!
Finally, here are five great things non-profits can do to improve air quality and reduce airborne transmission of COVID-19.
Here are a few more resources you may wish to use:
- Guidance on COVID-19 risk reduction in residential buildings from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers;
- Indoor air quality fact sheets from the Clean Air Crew;
- Guidance on ventilation and COVID-19 from the Public Health Agency of Canada;
- Specific guidance for community spaces from Dr. Jeffrey Siegel;
- Best practices for choosing portable air filters from CBC Marketplace.
Missed our first webinar on improving indoor air quality? Check it out here.