THE WINDSOR CONSULTING GROUP, INC.
Certified Industrial Hygienists and Safety Professionals
Indoor Air Quality
New and efficient construction restricts the amount of outdoor air entering buildings. Air and surface contaminants can build-up and produce worker complaints or avoidance of a public establishment. Some complaints include air temperature, relative humidity, odor, stuffiness, eye, skin, or upper respiratory tract irritation, asthma and/or allergy symtoms. Sometimes indoor air quality problems may be caused by Legionella bacteria in the building water supply. Other times, water damage or water intrusion problems results in microbial growth on buidling materials and contents and property damage hidden inside floor, wall, and ceiling cavities.
The staff at The Windsor Consulting Group, Inc. have experience in commercial, residential, and industrial properties. We have solved a wide variety of indoor air quality complaints ranging from infestation of rodents and insects to leaking chemical waste pipes inside a university wall cavity. Our CIHs and CSPs also have provided expert witness testimony in landmark indoor air quality cases.
Residential Property IAQ Surveys
Residential properties present some unique challenges since complaints are non-specific and the outcome may be unrelated to the original complaint. Many indoor air quality (IAQ) complaints arise from water intrusion or water damage from storm or sewage backups. Microbial growth including fungi, bacteria, endotoxins, and mycotoxins may or may not appear on the surface of the building materials and/or contents within the residence. Other complaints may include odors from recent renovations or repairs. Sometimes the IAQ complaintscare created by poor contractor workmanship.
The Windsor Consulting Group, Inc. has the knowledge and experience to solve all types of residential IAQ complaints through inspection and testing.
Industrial Property IAQ Surveys
Industrial properties can have indoor air quality (IAQ) issues as well. These IAQ concerns typicallly arise from the industrial process or operation using volatile chemical vapors and gases. The building ventilation system may draw in the odor from the outdoor air and circulate it throughout the building. Like our other industrial hygiene services, our CIHs and CSPs conduct a complete walk-around of the preemises, interview building occupants, and perform testing based on potential sources of air or surface contaminats like fungi, bacteria, fiberglass, inorganic lead and asbestos.
Many property owners, building managers, and insurance adjusters have relied on the talent of The Windsor Consulting Group, Inc. to identify the cause of their indoor air quality concerns and develop suggestions to reduce or eliminate the exposure.
Commercial Property IAQ Surveys
Commercial property indoor air quality (IAQ) issues can be similar to residential concerns, however, they affect more tenants within the building. Allergy and/or asthma concerns can arise from pest and insect infestation, dogs or cats, and leaf litter entering interior spaces. Water damage and intrusion leading to microbial growth can affect both building occupants and personal property as well as damage to building structure. The microbial growth may include fungi, bacteria, endotoxins and mycotoxins. Contractors performance maintenance and repairs also can create unwanted odors resulting in physical ailments.
Our staff of CIHs and CSPs at The Windsor Consulting Group, Inc. are ready to address all types of commercial building complaints by evaluation and testing.
Expert Witness Testimony
Our staff of CIHs and CSPs have provided litigation support and expert witness testimony in a number of indoor air quallity (IAQ) cases. These include:
(1) Microbial growth from water intrusion in the basement of a home sold to the buyer without declaring the property damage in the sale agreement.
(2) Cochroach allergen from infestation in a commercial property, which affected the health of the building occupants.
(3) Fiberglass insulation from commercial construction inside the HVAC system contaminated the building surfaces and contents in the tenant space.
(4) Insecticide was misapplied and sprayed inside a residence contaminating the building surfaces and contents, requiring the children to vacate the home
(5) Crystalline silica dust eminating from nearbt construction activities caused Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in five airline workers.