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Ventilation of funeral home preparation rooms: guidelines and calculations.

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), Public Health Services Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Service, Environmental & Occupational Health Surveillance Program

Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), 2006 Jan; :1-2

http://www.nj.gov/health/surv/documents/fuhomevent.pdf

20043730

VENTILATION GUIDELINES: Ventilation requirements for funeral home preparation rooms are not specifically addressed in current existing guidelines. However, the National Mechanical Code of the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) and the Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning Handbook of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) specify ventilation criteria for autopsy rooms. These criteria for autopsy rooms can serve as useful guidelines for effectively ventilating funeral home preparation rooms. BOCA requires a minimum of 12 air changes per hour for autopsy rooms. The BOCA Code also requires that the air shall be exhausted to the outdoors, at an approved location on the exterior of the building. ASHRAE recommends a minimum of 12 air changes per hour be supplied to autopsy rooms, and that at least two of the air changes per hour be outdoor air. ASHRAE also specifies that the room be negatively pressurized in relation to adjacent areas. The New Jersey Funeral Directors Association recommends, as an accepted industry practice, 10-15 air changes per hour for preparation rooms. A source of makeup air should also be provided in preparation rooms to prevent excessive negative pressurization and to improve air mixing within the room.

Respiratory-system-disorders; Respiration; Pulmonary-system; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Pulmonary-function; Diseases; Bronchial-asthma; Humans; Men; Women; Public-health; Risk-factors; Employee-exposure; Employees; Employee-health; Ventilation; Air-flow; Air-monitoring; Air-quality

20060101

Other

Cooperative Agreement

2006

Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-OH-008338; Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-208160

Ventilation of funeral home preparation rooms: guidelines and calculations

NJ

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services