ATLANTA - A proposed guideline from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has been developed to assist building owners, managers, and design professionals in analyzing what protective measures should be implemented in buildings to protect occupants and property from natural, accidental, and intentional hazards.

ASHRAE Guideline 29P, Guideline for Risk Management of Public Health and Safety in Buildings, is open for public comment until Aug. 28. It provides guidance for the practical evaluation, design, and implementation of measures to reduce multiple risks in new and existing buildings. The guideline describes the risk management process and addresses some of the mitigation techniques that can be implemented to bring the risks within acceptable limits.

It addresses aspects of building performance that affect occupant health and safety, including egress; chemical, biological, and radiological protection; fire protection; smoke removal; filtration; air quality; entrance paths for contaminants; and building envelopes.

"ASHRAE recognizes that risk management must be carried out hand-in-hand with other design considerations, such as budgeting, customer satisfaction, indoor air quality, and environmental impacts," said George Glavis, P.E., chair of the committee writing the guideline. "With this guideline, we are encouraging owners, managers, and design professionals to take the next step and consider the value of the assets we are designing around - our people, our buildings, and our continued business operations."

A draft of ASHRAE Guideline 29P is available only during the public review period. To obtain an electronic draft version of ASHRAE Guideline 29P during the comment period, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

Publication date: 07/31/2006