While indoor air quality is an important consideration for employees and occupants of a building, it is also important for the individuals who construct buildings.  Indoor air quality on the construction site may be poor due to factors such as improper ventilation and the presence of hazardous and volatile chemicals, dust, and moisture.  A construction IAQ management plan documents the construction methods that will be used to maintain IAQ during the construction of a building.  The purpose of an IAQ management plan is to protect the health of workers on the site, as well as to prevent residual IAQ issues once the building is finished and sealed (1).  

There are a number of construction practices which may be incorporated into a construction IAQ management plan.  The presence of moisture in construction materials is an issue that is often addressed in these plans.  When construction materials become moist, they facilitate the growth of mould, which is a respiratory health hazard for construction workers and future building users.  To avoid mould growth during construction, construction materials should be covered if stored outdoors, and dried within a short time period in the event that they do become moist.  

The presence of toxic chemicals is also an important consideration in any construction IAQ management plan.  Chemical hazards include spills, open chemical containers and the installation of materials that off-gas high concentrations of chemicals during installation.  To reduce risk, it is essential that proper ventilation be maintained at all times and that any chemical spill be cleaned up immediately.  

Education is an important part of ensuring the success of an IAQ management plan.  All construction workers on a site should understand the construction practices specified in the plan.  Those involved in the use of VOCs or installation of VOC containing products must wear appropriate breathing masks, as should those working in high dust areas.  In order to minimize the creation and dispersion of dust, wet sanding is preferred over dry sanding and vacuuming is preferred over sweeping (1).

Sources:
¹ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008.  IAQ Design Tools for Schools: Construction (webpage).