Industrial Hygiene is the practice devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of those environmental factors and stresses arising in or from the workplace that may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers and may also impact the general community. As our society has evolved from an industrial/agricultural economy to a service-oriented base and alternative places of work have become more common, this field has expanded from industrial settings to include non-industrial facilities as well as office and residential environments. Ox Pond Industries personnel possess the technical knowledge, education, training, and experience necessary provide these services in a timely and cost-effective manner.

While most buildings do not have severe indoor air quality problems, conditions may exist even in well-run buildings that could negatively impact indoor air quality. Pollutants in our indoor environment can increase the risk of illness. Scientific studies have consistently ranked indoor air pollution as an important environmental health problem, and have shown that pollutant levels in indoor environments can actually be higher than those outdoors. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air quality is a major concern to businesses, building managers, tenants, and employees because it can impact the health, comfort, well being, and productivity of building occupants. The EPA also estimates that individuals spend up to 90% of their time indoors and many spend most of their working hours in an office environment. Improved IAQ can result in higher productivity, fewer lost work days and lowered medical care costs. Ox Pond Industries can work with you to determine your IAQ needs. We will develop an appropriate sampling and evaluation program to identify indoor air deficiencies within your building and provide recommendations for definitive corrective action. Our services include:

Often, building occupants are a property owner's and building manager's best source of identifying deficiencies related to indoor air quality. All occupant complaints of adverse health effects perceived to be related to IAQ should be taken seriously and investigated appropriately. We can interview affected individuals or groups using published interview forms or conduct face-to-face interviews to determine adverse health effects, timing patterns, related medical history, and to obtain other information necessary to design an effective investigation strategy. Our intervention as an impartial third-party can lead to improved trust relationships and enhance tenant or occupant satisfaction in many commercial settings.

A proactive approach to maintaining acceptable indoor air quality may be more cost effective than reactive management for the building owner, and can increase occupant satisfaction. Additionally, a proactive IAQ management program is a valuable tool in today's competitive markets. Our programs are custom-designed to periodically evaluate building conditions, pollutants and pollutant source operations, and operations and maintenance activities that would be anticipated to adversely affect building IAQ, and to promote an indoor building environment that is safe and healthy for employees, contractors, guests, residents and other occupants

Evaluation of the affected space to determine the source of the odor if possible, and to manage the pollutant causing the odor, whether by removing the source, increasing dilution ventilation, or through the use of specialized filtration media designed to capture the odor-causing contaminant

Effective design, proper operating conditions and preventive maintenance of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems are critical in maintaining acceptable Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). With a Mechanical Engineer on staff, faulty or ineffective HVAC systems can be identified and corrections made to enhance IAQ. Ventilation assessments to identify short-cylcing, improper balancing, inadequate air distribution, thermal stratification and other HVAC-related issues that can be detrimental to IAQ can also be performed.

Aggressive cooling tower maintenance and effective water treatment are necessary to ensure effective operation of the cooling system and to minimize the potential for exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to Legionella bacteria. Periodic testing for Legionella should be performed on all cooling towers, especially during the cooling season, to determine the effectiveness of water treatment and biocide applications that are frequently performed by outside contractors. Other building water systems may also become amplification sites for Legionella bacteria. Testing of these sources is also recommended whenever a building occupant is diagnosed with Legionnaires' Disease or Pontiac Fever to ensure that water sources within the building are not implicated. Strain typing can also performed to determine whether a Legionella infection resulted from the strain of Legionella identified within a building water system, and can assist medical personnel in identifying suspected contributing water sources. Ox Pond Industries performs evaluations in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 12-2000, Minimizing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems, and ASTM D 5952-96 Standard Guide for Inspecting Water Systems for Legionellae and Investigating Possible Outbreaks of Legionellosis (Legionnaires' Disease or Pontiac Fever). We work closely with our analytical laboratories to ensure that testing and evaluation are conducted in accordance with current industry guidance, including the Centers for Disease Control Procedures for the Recovery of Legionella from the Environment.