The COVID-19 pandemic created a world that few could have imagined. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing became the norm while our previous way of life came to a standstill. But the built environment continued; as people shut themselves indoors, the need for building safety was paramount. Inspections and repairs had to continue in order for occupants to remain safe.

Future safety was equally as important, so the International Code Council teamed up with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) to form a special Pandemic Task Force (PTF). The PTF was tasked with researching how COVID-19 was impacting the built environment, develop a roadmap to counter these and other health risks and propose needed resources, including updates to the International Codes (I-Codes). If future health threats emerged, the task force wanted to ensure that the built environment was prepared with as much information and as many resources as possible. 

The PTF worked in three phases and formed four working groups to assist in the areas of:

1. Architectural/Structural
2. Fire Service
3. Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing
4. Remote Operations

Research and best practices

The PTF’s initial goal was to research and identify documents pertaining to the built environment. During this phase, the working groups put together a notable collection of publications and other relevant documents.

At the same time, multiple organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that COVID-19 was airborne and should be controlled with proper ventilation and filtration. This finding, along with the literature reviewed during Phase 1, helped inform the best practices created during Phase 2. The best practices were designed to guide property owners, building managers and the code enforcement community in their mission to combat current and future contagions without creating unnecessary restrictions or inhibiting innovation.

Phase 2 also saw the development of a Facility Emergency Risk Assessment Tool (FERAT). This five-step process can be used to determine appropriate mitigation strategies to address a specific type of emergency in a specific type of facility. For example, if a natural disaster (such as a wildfire) were to occur during a pandemic (like COVID-19), the FERAT can be deployed to monitor both events simultaneously.

But, while it is important for property owners and managers to know how to react during a hazardous or potentially dangerous situation, it is equally important to make buildings safer in advance of future challenges. To that end, multiple best practices were identified, including several that are applicable to HVAC systems and plumbing distribution systems:

Air Filtration

• Mechanical systems should be sized to accommodate a design airflow at a total static pressure drop, which assumes the utilization of a supply air filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of no less than 13.
• HVAC systems should be commissioned to verify they are functioning as designed. For the recommended infection control measures to be effective, it is important that the HVAC system has properly installed filters and controls that operate as intended.

Ventilation

• An effective ventilation system, with a properly designed and installed HVAC system that addresses air filtration and humidity (dew point), reduces the risk of dissemination of infectious aerosols in buildings.
• Increase the outside air to as high a level as possible within system design based on environmental conditions. A minimum 20 CFM/person outside air ventilation rate is suggested for general non-clinical applications.
• Increase the amount of outdoor air provided to each occupiable zone until the carbon dioxide (CO2) level in each zone falls below a maximum threshold as defined by the user. A maximum 800 ppm CO2 concentration is suggested for general non-clinical applications.
• Where directional airflow is not specifically required or not recommended as the result of a risk assessment, promote the mixing of space air without causing strong air currents that increase direct transmission from person to person.

UV Light Disinfection

• Consider opportunities to cleanse the air within a space rather than increase ventilation.
• Where ultraviolet (UV) germicidal irradiation systems are provided, they must be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 8802 and installed and maintained in accordance with their listing and the manufacturer’s instruction.
• Where UV systems are used, they must comply with Section 1211.1 of the International Building Code (IBC).

Plumbing Water Distribution

•  A comprehensive water management program (WMP) is recommended.
• Water heaters should be properly maintained and the temperature set correctly.
• Water distribution systems should be flushed following approved methods.
• Safety equipment, such as fire sprinkler systems, eyewash stations and emergency showers, should be flushed and cleaned.

After identifying these best practices, the PTF comprehensively reviewed the current I-Code requirements to identify potential revisions that would reduce the transmission of diseases and other serious health concerns. These revisions were explored during the Code Council’s last two development cycles.

Proposals were then submitted for inclusion in a future code update, resulting in several key changes:

2021-2023 Cycle (Included in the 2024 I-Codes)

2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC):

Appendix D Provision: Requires mechanical systems to be sized to accommodate the utilization of a supply air filter with a MERV of no less than 13. This provision is not mandatory unless Appendix D is specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance.

Appendix E Provisions: Provides requirements for clean air delivery and monitoring systems, including CO2 sensor performance specifications and other requirements. These provisions are not mandatory unless Appendix E is specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance.

2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC):

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of washing our hands with soap. Thus, the 2024 IPC now requires soap dispensers to be provided at all public lavatories. While most engineers and architects specify soap dispensers, the code did not previously require them for public lavatories. 

2024-2027 Cycle (Tentatively Approved for Inclusion in the 2027 I-Codes)

IMC Section 405 to include provisions such that where facilities are designed to operate in various modes in response to a natural or manmade threat to/exposure of the building, an approved Building Readiness Plan (BRP) must be provided. 

The BRP must:

• Include the operations and maintenance (O&M) procedures involved in this operating mode, 
• Detail the mechanical equipment affected,
• Include final design drawings, 
• Provide a critical asset inventory management plan, 
• List maintenance requirements and schedules,
• Establish a return to normal mode review period.

IPC Section 410.4 to include provisions allowing bottle filling stations to be substituted for drinking fountains up to the 50 percent level. Drinking fountains were shut down during COVID-19 due to sanitation concerns. Sanitation can be improved, and the risk of spreading viruses can be reduced, by increasing the use of personal water bottles.

Committed to building safety, inside and out

COVID-19 presented new threats and challenges for everyone, but it also provided an opportunity for all of us to come together and build a better future. The last five years of learnings have been invaluable; with the help of NEHA, the Code Council has empowered the built world with guidelines, best practices and new code provisions. From day one, the goal has been to help developers and property managers construct and manage safer and more sustainable buildings and provide building officials with the tools and guidance to make this a reality.

When coupled with the I-Code changes (current or tentative), individuals that live, work or visit buildings that incorporate these practices will be less likely to contract airborne or waterborne diseases.

While it is impossible to predict the challenges that may be ahead, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to prepare for them.