Indoor Environmental Quality: IAQ Management, Green Cleaning, and Occupant Comfort
What the domain tests
EQ performance items test indoor air quality management, green cleaning, and occupant comfort as ongoing operational programs. The exam asks whether a policy exists, is implemented, and is supported by records.
Core rules
- An IAQ management plan should cover outdoor air intake, filtration, moisture and mold, pest control, renovation sequencing, and response to complaints.
- Green cleaning includes certified cleaning products, effective equipment, procedures, training, and storage; purchasing alone is not a program.
- Occupant comfort surveys should be anonymous, cover thermal, acoustic, lighting, and air-quality satisfaction, and trigger corrective action when results fall short.
- Thermal comfort is evaluated against a recognized standard such as ASHRAE 55; setpoints and complaint logs should match the stated policy.
- Integrated pest management emphasizes prevention, monitoring, and least-toxic treatment rather than routine spraying.
- Records must show implementation over the performance period: logs, invoices, training records, and corrective-action follow-up.
Worked example
An office surveys occupants and finds 28% dissatisfied with temperature. The team cannot simply note “HVAC adjusted.” It reviews the complaint log, checks zone setpoints against ASHRAE 55, verifies sensor calibration, adjusts damper schedules, and re-surveys the affected zones. The corrective action and follow-up results are documented in the IAQ plan.
Traps
Treating a green cleaning purchasing policy as implementation; using a one-time survey with no follow-up; reporting comfort complaints without corrective action; and letting renovation work proceed without an IAQ sequence.