Hazard Recognition

Ventilation may be deficient in confined spaces, facilities failing to provide adequate maintenance of ventilation equipment, facilities operated to maximize energy conservation, windowless areas, and areas with high occupant densities. The following references aid in recognizing and evaluating hazards associated with ventilation in the workplace.

• Field Operations Manual (FOM). OSHA Directive CPL 02-00-164, (April 14, 2020).
• OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED 1-0.15A], (January 20, 1999). Several portions of the OTM include ventilation as part of the evaluation process:
  • Technical Equipment: On-site Measurements. (February 11, 2014). Includes information about the equipment used for assessing ventilation.
  • Indoor Air Quality Investigation. Ventilation is included as an important part of indoor air quality investigations in this chapter.
    • Investigating Office-Related Complaints. Appendix III:2-1. Describes ventilation as an important part of indoor air quality investigations.
  • Ventilation Investigation. Contains information on several ventilation topics, including general concepts, health effects, standards and codes, investigations, and more.
    • Troubleshooting an Exhaust System--Some Helpful Hints. Appendix III:3-4. Describes system checks that can be made by visual observation and do not require extensive measurements.
  • Hospital Investigations: Health Hazards. Contains information about ventilation as a means for controlling air contaminants in hospitals.
• Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice, 25th Edition. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), (2004). Provides research data and information on the design, maintenance, and evaluation of industrial exhaust ventilation systems, including basic ventilation principles and sample calculations.
• Troubleshooting Industrial Ventilation: Simple Tools for Finding Problems in LEV Systems. D. Jeff Burton (June/July 2016), The Synergist, American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Discusses a possible approach to diagnose and troubleshoot industrial ventilation system problems.