Mississauga, O.N. — Today Joe Muchynski, Vice President of Arvin Air Systems and Chair of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) Advisory Council on Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings (The Advisory Council) made the following statement:
“The Advisory Council is supportive of updated guidelines from the Public Health Agency of Canada that recognize the risk of COVID-19 transmission from aerosols.
Ventilation, humidity control, air cleaning and filtration can provide important indoor environmental protections against the spread of harmful airborne contaminants, including potential transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. We recognize that measures to improve indoor air quality are among the key mitigation actions that Canadians can take in the environments where they live, work, learn and play to reduce the spread of the virus and other harmful pathogens.
Over the months ahead, we look forward to sharing advice with Canadians about how to optimize indoor air quality for the best possible health outcomes.”
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The Advisory Council on Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings was established in the summer of 2020 by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) to better understand, advise and respond to concerns about the spread of virus particles in the air in schools and workplaces.
HRAI is the national trade association for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry, representing over 1,250 member companies. HRAI members include manufacturers, wholesalers and contractors who collectively employ tens of thousands of skilled trade professionals across the country and contribute more than $12B annually to the Canadian economy.
Members of the Advisory Council include representatives from:
- The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada
- American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
- Building Owners and Managers Association—GTA (BOMA)
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- National Research Council (NRC)
- University of Toronto
- University of Alberta
Contact: Martin Luymes, HRAI-Canada, 416-453-5899, mluymes@hrai.ca
