Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian
KUCHING (Aug 27): Non-residential building management, business owners and employers have to play a part in ventilation improvement in their respective buildings and spaces to curb the spread of Covid-19, which can be transmitted by aerosols.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said to achieve optimal air dilution, air exchange and air filtration in all non-residential buildings in Sarawak to keep the risk of Covid-19 transmission to as low as possible, a standard operating procedure (SOP) was released on Aug 24.
He shared the SOP on a Facebook post yesterday. The SOP does not cover buildings or spaces which are categorised as ‘controlled environment’ or ‘clean room’.
“Current scientific evidences suggest that in addition to direct droplet transmission, Covid-19 viruses can be transmitted by aerosols suspended in the air and moved by air currents.”
For enclosed buildings or space with centralised air conditioning system, a suitable person must be appointed to be in-charge of the implementation of the SOP.
The person has to perform inspection and checks on the air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) system to ensure it is functioning as per design everyday before the start of business hours and keep a maintenance record of the ACMV system. The maintenance is carried out according to manufacturer’s recommendation or Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010.
This also applies for enclosed buildings or space with openable windows and split air conditioning system like government offices, eateries, shoplots, sports facilities and hostels.
Air flushing must also be performed daily for these two types of buildings or spaces.
Enclosed buildings or space with openable windows and without air conditioning system are required to appoint a suitable person in-charge of the implementation of the SOP and perform air flushing three times daily, for a minimum of 1 hour each time.
For the rest of the spaces, they are required to appoint a suitable person in-charge of the implementation of the SOP.
For enclosed buildings or space without windows or where windows opening is not possible and without centralised air conditioning system, they are required to install both fresh air supply fan and exhaust fan on opposite walls.
For buildings or space with wide front and back entrance openings, they need to allow natural ventilation as usual through all windows and openings, and operate ceiling fans (if any) at all times.
For kitchen within the building, and toilet and shower room within the building, they need to ensure the exhaust fan is clean and functioning as per design every day before the start of business.