City Hall highlights the importance of ensuring indoor air quality in establishments, especially during the pandemic

Maintenance of air conditioning units is a mandatory measure for those who wish to return to in-person activities, such as schools. Photo: Disclosure

The City of Rio, through the Sub-Secretariat of Health Surveillance of the Municipal Health Department, reinforces the obligation for establishments to guarantee the quality of indoor air in closed spaces, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. With the resumption of activities in various sectors, it is essential that air conditioning units are maintained in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health.

— The determination applies to classrooms, cinemas, restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and other establishments with air conditioning. It is a measure that predates the pandemic, but is now more necessary than ever to guarantee health safety in these spaces — reinforces the Superintendent of Education of the Health Surveillance, Flávio Graça.

Equipment and structures must be free of fungi, bacteria, mites, and other respiratory disease-causing organisms, and the system must be properly regulated. These adjustments are essential to ensure comfort and safety for the occupants of the indoor space, since proper control of air humidity interferes with the spread of the new coronavirus, which can be spread through the air by suspended droplets.

Safe classrooms
In the case of private schools, authorized to return to in-person classes voluntarily since October 1, in addition to increasing the potential risk to the health of employees and students, the lack of maintenance and malfunction of air conditioning equipment in these spaces can have consequences such as irritation of the respiratory tract, drowsiness, lack of concentration and even distraction from learning.

For this reason, the measure is one of the determining items in the health protocol self-declaration form (Faps). Published on Friday (09/10), the mandatory document must be completed by daycare centers, early childhood education schools, elementary and high schools that wish to resume in-person teaching activities. The measure aims to collect information on which procedures were adopted by the educational units as measures to prevent Covid-19, such as the Golden Rules and the specific hygiene and health protocols developed for these activities.

Establishments must complete the electronic forms within seven calendar days from the date of publication, under penalty. The documentation is available on the Health Surveillance website.

Mandatory maintenance
The Maintenance, Operation and Control Plan – PMOC is a requirement of Ordinance MS No. 3.523, of the Ministry of Health, in force since 1998, which compiles all procedures for verifying the state of cleanliness, conservation and maintenance of the integrity of air conditioning systems.

Ministry of Health rules for establishments with air conditioning systems:

Owners, tenants and employees responsible for air conditioning systems with a capacity above 5 TR (15.000 kcal/h = 60.000 BTU/H) must maintain a qualified technical manager with the following duties:

– implement and maintain a Maintenance, Operation and Control Plan – PMOC, adopted for the air conditioning system, available in the property.

– ensure the application of the PMOC through the direct or indirect continuous execution of this service.

– keep available the record of the execution of the procedures established in the PMOC.

– disclose the procedures and results of maintenance, operation and control activities to occupants.