Page 14 - NJ Cooperator Winter 2020

14 THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR —WINTER 2020 NJCOOPERATOR.COM MACKOUL RISK SOLUTIONS Mackoul Risk Solutions are insurance advisors to over 1,400 condominiums, cooperatives, and HOAs in New Jersey and New York for over 30 years. Our goal is to provide unmatched, quality service by combining the power of digital technology, forward-thinking and a personable, knowledgeable staff. WWW.MACKOUL.COM | 866-MACKOUL | INFO@MACKOUL.COM Visit our website that features various online services including: Visit our website that features various online services including: Request & Print Online Certificates Policy Change Request Video Proposals Client Portal Instant Quote Platform Mackoul School Webinars Claim Reporting INSURANCE MATTERS AND WE KNOW INSURANCE Clickable Coverage WWW.MACKOUL.COM We specialize in: • Condominium/Townhouse Associations • Single Family HOA/Master Planned • Luxury High Rise Condominiums • Cooperative Communities • Adult Active Communities 11 Cleveland Place • Springfield NJ 07081 tony.nardone@cp-management.com 973.376.3925 www.cp-management.com expert consensus is that HVAC equipment does have the capacity to spread the virus, questions of what exactly to do about that remain. What precautions can we take to protect ourselves? One facts-based option to make heat- ing and air conditioning systems safer is to use high-effi ciency fi lters to essentially strain dangerous contaminants out of the air before they get to anyone’s lungs. Peter Catapano, a mechanical engineer with O & S Associates, a national engineering fi rm based in Hackensack, New Jersey, says the answer lies in high-effi ciency particulate air (HEPA) fi lters, an existing technology currently used in all kinds of medical fa- cilities to fi lter out many bacterial, fungal, and viral particles. HEPA technology is benefi cial in both common areas and private apartment set- tings where HVAC systems are active—ba- sically anywhere a large fi ltration system uses ducts to move air from place to place. As to individual window or through-wall air conditioning units, there doesn’t appear to be any consensus at this time on how— or even whether—they help spread CO- VID-19. Th at said, common sense would indicate that if a person or persons were carrying the virus, and were congregated in an enclosed room cooled by an individ- ual unit, the circulating air currents could potentially propel viral bodies around the space, making it more likely that someone would inhale them and themselves be- come infected. UV vs. COVID Nardel also suggests in the same article that ultraviolet (UV) lights—which have been used for decades to sterilize the air of tuberculosis bacteria—could be used against the coronavirus. Catapano agrees, but with some caveats. “Scientifi cally, and through testing, ultraviolet light does kill the virus if properly administered,” he says. But unfortunately, “\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[o\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\]ne of the hazards of UV is that it’s also detrimental to humans. It causes skin cancer, and can cause blind- ness, and it also causes plastic substances to deteriorate. However, it’s been tested and documented that if properly applied for a specifi c period of time, it will destroy the virus.” William T. Payne, a mechanical engi- neer also with O & S Associates, adds that “UV has been widely used in healthcare and hospitals for a long time. It’s a tried- and-true technology, but there is a debate as to whether or not anyone should be ex- posed to that light—whether the building has to be empty or not \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[during treatment\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\]. So, running it at night in common areas when no one is around could be an answer to this question, but I would say absolutely that it’s a viable technology to consider when seeking to kill the virus on surfaces.” Considerations Beyond COVID While technologies and treatments for COVID-19 are of course foremost in ev- eryone’s mind these days, there’s much more to be considered when evaluating the quality of air and ventilation in your build- ing. In the end, the most important factor for all air quality questions is ventilation— how air moves around the building. To a great extent, the analysis and remediation required for proper ventilation depend on the type of building, as well as its age, size, and design. Prewar buildings are generally ventilated by windows and courtyards, for example, while post-war high-rise build- ings benefi t from advances in technology that usually include mechanical ventila- tion systems within the building core. According to Payne, “Prewar and lower to mid-rise buildings fall into two catego- ries: You have mechanical ventilation, or you have ventilation by typical courtyards. Even way back when these properties were built, there was a \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[building\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] code… that said if you have open windows, they account for some amount of ventilation. Over the decades these codes have got- ten more and more complicated. In newer buildings, we have mechanical ventila- tion—which, by the way, gives us more options dealing with contaminants like the COVID virus.” When it comes to air and ventilation systems in multifamily buildings, among the most common complaints is the trav- eling, lingering smells of cigarette smoke and cooking odors. “If you smell cigarette or marijuana smoke, or cooking odors,” says Payne, “that tells you that your build- ing isn’t breathing properly. Which means theoretically that you may have a greater concern about COVID-19 as well, because air isn’t being properly exchanged or ex- hausted.” To achieve proper air exchange, Payne explains, your building should be slightly positively pressurized, meaning there should be more fresh air coming in than leaving. “If you look at apartment build- ings that have mechanical ventilation, their systems are taking fresh air from the roof to the basement, and pressur- izing the building, typically pushing air under the apartment doors. Th at means you shouldn’t use a towel or other device to reduce that draft —you need that under- door airfl ow. Th at air is then exhausted through roof fans, or some other type of equipment through the kitchens and bath- rooms. If you’re smelling someone else’s cooking smells, that means that there’s a problem with the pressurization balance of the building.” Th is problem can be managed, Payne continues. “Th e fi rst strategy for dealing with smoke and cooking smells is mak- ing sure that your building pressurization is correct—that you have proper positive pressure from the corridors into the apart- SECURING... continued from page 1 continued on page 16