THE COHEN GROUP
  Environmental Health & Safety Consulting Services

 

I N D O O R   A I R   Q U A L I T Y

indoor air quality

Health complaints in buildings typically arise when an unusual contaminant is present or common contaminants are present in uncommonly high concentrations.  Although less experienced investigators, often rely upon poorly conceived air monitoring strategies in an attempt to identify the source of the problem, The Cohen Group’s approach is to first understand all the factors potentially involved.  In the more than five hundred indoor air quality investigations we have performed, we have found that the solution is often simple.  Changing the chemicals used by the custodian, the position of the ventilation system intake damper, the setting on a thermostat, or the location of a photocopier may make all the difference.  In other cases, evaluating the environment may require a carefully conceived strategy.  Should environmental monitoring be warranted, The Cohen Group’s skills in selecting the appropriate monitoring tools and evaluating the findings are second to none.

If the concern with the indoor environment is related to mold or other forms of microbial contamination, see The Cohen Group’s description on Microbial Investigations.                     

 

SUCCESS!

School district administrators were receiving widespread complaints from parents, teachers and staff.  The complaints described health effects that apparently were associated with occupancy of classrooms at a number of schools.  The Cohen Group found several instances where water intrusion and mold growth were evident and, working with the school district, developed strategies for remediation.  However, we also found systematic HVAC system misuse, generally poor building maintenance and custodial practices, and use of potentially toxic chemicals as teaching materials.  Working with the school district, we developed a comprehensive written Indoor Environmental Quality Program containing proactive (preventative), maintenance & custodial, reactive (incident response), and training elements.  Since its implementation, complaints have greatly diminished and the perception on the part of parents, teachers and staff is that the district has creatively and aggressively resolved a difficult problem.

S E R V I C E S
• Comprehensive site investigations
• HVAC system evaluations
• Air monitoring for chemicals and particulates
• Air, water and surface sampling for microbes
• Carbon dioxide monitoring
• Temperature and humidity surveys
• Written programs for establishing and maintaining good indoor  environmental quality

                                 

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