May 13, 2025 –

Over the past three years, the BIFMA e3 Subcommittee — comprising a diverse group of BIFMA members, government agencies, architects, designers, and other industry stakeholders — collaboratively reimagined the standard. The rigorous revision process began with a pilot review and continued through two cycles of association ballots followed by two ANSI ballots. Each phase generated invaluable feedback that helped shape a more transparent, accessible and performance-driven standard.

Key guiding principles during the revision included:

• Simplification of the standard: Streamlining requirements for clarity and ease of implementation
• Establishment of minimum requirements per tier: Transitioning from a credit-based system to clearly defined minimum standards for each performance level
• Alignment with key partners: Maintaining strong consistency with foundational sustainability frameworks such as LEED, WELL and ILFI

As a result, the updated standard introduces several significant enhancements:

• LEVEL 4 achievement: Establishing a new milestone for industry excellence and innovation
• Climate-positive criteria: Pushing the envelope of sustainability by advancing beyond neutrality
• Chemical optimization: Implementing a class-based approach that sets stringent criteria for chemical management

The revised framework builds successively from foundational policies and inventories (Level 1) through assessments and, ultimately, optimization, culminating in the industry-leading benchmarks set by Level 4.

Mendy Claridge, e3 Subcommittee Chair and Director Program Management and Transformation at Kimball International, stated:

This revision represents a bold step forward for sustainable furniture design and manufacturing. By streamlining the requirements and integrating progressive criteria, this allows the industry to meet market sustainability demands while aligning with complementary standards globally.

BIFMA extends its sincere thanks to every individual and organization that contributed insights throughout this review process, saying that their collaboration ensured the development of a standard that not only meets current environmental challenges but also sets a visionary roadmap for the future of sustainable furniture design.

To access the ANSI/BIFMA e3-2024 Furniture Sustainability Standard and additional BIFMA standards, visit BIFMA.

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• IFMA’s Wildfire Crisis Resource Hub includes strategies for improving indoor air quality (IAQ) before, during and after wildfire events; guidance on filtration and ventilation to safeguard indoor spaces; tips for natural disaster preparedness and wildfire impact reduction; and more.
• ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024, Protecting Building Occupants From Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events, outlines best practices for building design, operation and maintenance to reduce the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to wildfire and prescribed burn smoke by safeguarding indoor air quality (IAQ) during these events. Read more on FMLink.
• ASHRAE Journal podcast episode Where There’s Smoke, There’s HVAC explores the impacts of wildfire smoke on buildings, people and public health.
• ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration offers guidance after a fire.  Read more on FMLink.
• UL’s CIRI offers new resources to help residents impacted by California wildfires, including a public information website, toolkit, and guidance document offer practical tips for recovering from the devastation of wildland-urban interface fires
• The January 31st edition of Science Friday covers “The Toxic Aftermath of an Urban Fire“
• NFPA’s Wildfire Division provides resources to residents and safety professionals to help ensure everyone living in communities at risk has the information, knowledge, and tools to prepare and protect their homes from the threat of wildfire.

In addition, look for related education sessions and HVAC technology at such shows as the National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT) trade show, taking place in Baltimore, Maryland, March 25-27. For sessions recommended by our editors, see these stories on FMLink:

• “March 25-27: More than 100,000 facilities professionals have attended NFMT. Will you join them in Baltimore for training, networking and product discovery?”
• “Fall prevention, fire sprinkler systems and how AI is powering maintenance are among the sessions of interest to healthcare FMs during NFMT, March 25-27, Baltimore”
• “Emergency disaster response, AI now; the next gen of FM, and adapting to climate change are among sessions for the closing day of NFMT 2025, March 25-27, Baltimore”

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Joseph Goffman, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, remarked:

This updated guidance will be a valuable tool in protecting against the spread of common airborne respiratory viruses indoors, where we spend about 90% of our time. In addition to immunizations, handwashing and other key preventive measures, taking action to promote healthier indoor air helps to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses indoors.

The updated guidance outlines how to implement ventilation strategies, such as opening doors and windows, as part of a multilayered approach to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses indoors. The approach includes filtration improvements, such as upgrading the filter in a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning  (HVAC) system; using a portable air cleaner; running fans to circulate air indoors; and operating exhaust, window, and attic fans to further reduce the amount of virus particles in the air.

This multilayered approach also addresses the use of air treatment technologies, administrative controls, and cleaning and disinfection practices. The updated guidance also outlines specific strategies and considerations for public indoor spaces, such as schools, offices, and commercial buildings.

View EPA’s updated guidance and learn more:

• Ventilation and Respiratory Viruses
• Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Viruses in Public Indoor Spaces

IAQ background from EPA

Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can impact their health, but indoor air pollution can also have significant and harmful health effects. Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Indoor air quality affects everyone, especially the most vulnerable, including children, the elderly, and people with health conditions like asthma and heart disease.

Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns. Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later. Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of IAQ problems. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the area.

Respiratory viruses can spread more easily indoors than outdoors since the viral concentration can build up indoors and people are closer to each other. Each year, respiratory viruses are responsible for millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States. In addition to the virus that causes Covid-19, there are many other types of airborne respiratory viruses, including influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that can spread more easily indoors than outdoors.

Ventilation and filtration are important components of a multilayered approach for reducing the spread of respiratory viruses indoors. Increasing the amount of outdoor air coming indoors is one of the most important ways to reduce the likelihood that viruses are spread. When it is challenging to enhance the ventilation to a space, consider cleaning or treating the air to reduce virus particles — through filters in your HVAC system or using portable air cleaning devices.

On their own, these individual IAQ strategies are not likely to be sufficient for preventing the spread of respiratory viruses indoors, making it essential to implement each of them in conjunction with other core preventive actions for respiratory viruses recommended by the CDC.

Webinar February 6

EPA will hold a webinar, Reducing Airborne Viruses in Schools: Optimizing Ventilation and Energy Efficiency, on Thursday, February 6, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST.

Webinar participants will learn how to:

• Apply findings from school air quality research and guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on ventilation to reduce the spread of airborne viruses and bacteria.
• Provide clean and healthy air in schools while considering energy efficiency by developing a plan to operate, regularly inspect, and maintain HVAC systems, as well as provide outdoor air in accordance with ASHRAE standards.
• Train school facility staff with a new online training co-developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Efficient and Healthy Schools Program, U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools, and EPA’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools.
• Implement best practices used by an award-winning school district and develop a systematic approach to IAQ management, ventilation, and healthy indoor environments.

Register today for the webinar.

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The new resource, ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024, Protecting Building Occupants From Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events, outlines best practices for building design, operation and maintenance to reduce the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to wildfire and prescribed burn smoke.

2024-25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member, said:

The frequency, intensity and duration of wildland fire events have grown significantly in recent years, threatening air quality and public health. This guideline equips building professionals with comprehensive recommendations to mitigate smoke intrusion and maintain healthier indoor environments. Protecting building occupants from the harmful effects of wildfire smoke is critical to preserving their health and overall wellbeing.

Key features of Guideline 44-2024:

• Applicability: Designed for commercial buildings, institutional facilities (including healthcare), multiunit residential buildings, and designated safe spaces for temporary occupancy during smoke events.
• Focus on vulnerable populations: Includes tailored recommendations for spaces occupied by at-risk groups, such as children and the elderly.
• Comprehensive guidance on best practices: Considerations during design phase for new and retrofits, as well as the installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of building envelopes, ventilation systems and air-cleaning technologies to mitigate smoke infiltration and improve IAQ.

To purchase Guideline 44-2024, Protecting Building Occupants From Smoke During Wildfire and Prescribed Burn Events (available free until February 11), or to view the podcast episode Where There’s Smoke, There’s HVAC, visit ASHRAE.

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Visit the Efficient and Healthy Schools Program website for details on the four recognition categories, success stories from previous honorees, a fact sheet on the program and the application form itself. The deadline to submit your application is December 20. 

The recognition program also provides support for schools and districts interested in applying. Contact schools@lbl.gov for:

• One-on-one technical assistance.
• Cohorts to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
• Mentorship from previous recognition honorees.
• Tailored and packaged resources to help implement projects.

Benefits of recognition include:

In addition, EPA offers free indoor air quality (IAQ) tools for schools resources to help schools maintain a healthy indoor environment by identifying, correcting and preventing IAQ problems. Learn more about the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance and access other valuable school environmental health resources at EPA.

If you have questions about the IAQ Tools for Schools guidance, contact iaqschools@epa.gov.

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First published in June 2023, ASHRAE Standard 241 establishes minimum requirements to reduce the airborne transmission of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (which causes Covid-19), the flu, and other pathogens. This standard applies to various building types, including single- and multi-family homes, offices, schools, and healthcare facilities. Recognized as the first consensus-based, code-enforceable standard of its kind, it has been praised by former White House Covid Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha as “one of the most important public health interventions seen in years.” The potential for federal adoption highlights its crucial role in protecting public health across the built environment.

2024-25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, stated:

Standard 241 reinforces ASHRAE’s dedication to improving the health and well-being of building occupants. The Society supports legislation to improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), which we know is a long-term solution in mitigating disease transmission and this standard is a foundational piece. By making the integration of strategies to control infectious aerosols the norm, we are helping to create safer indoor environments.

Standard 241 provides detailed guidance on the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to control the spread of infectious aerosols. It covers ventilation rates, filtration and air-cleaning technologies and includes a building readiness plan to evaluate the performance of existing or new HVAC systems.

Additionally, the standard addresses Legionellosis risks by focusing on potable water systems, decorative water features, whirlpool spas and cooling towers, with appendices on U.S. drinking water regulations, Legionella testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance. Further building occupant safety guidance can be found in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality and Standard 62.2, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings are also key resources for tackling poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in both commercial and residential buildings, impacting health, comfort, and productivity. These standards provide three compliance methods: prescriptive, performance-based, and natural ventilation approaches.

To purchase these and related resources, visit the ASHRAE Bookstore (click on specific links above). Also listen to the ASHRAE Journal Podcast: Infectious Aerosol Control: Understanding Standard 241.

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A new fact sheet shows that six bacterial antimicrobial-resistant hospital-onset infections increased by a combined 20% during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period, peaking in 2021, and remaining above pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

In 2022, rates for all but one of these pathogens (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA) remain above pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the number of reported clinical cases of Candida auris (C. auris) — a type of yeast that can spread in healthcare facilities, is often resistant to antifungal medications, and causes severe illness — increased nearly five-fold from 2019 to 2022.

The increases in antimicrobial resistance (AR) burden seen in 2020 and 2021 are likely due in part to the impact of Covid-19, which pushed healthcare facilities, health departments and communities near their breaking points, points out CDC. The pandemic resulted in longer hospital stays for hospitalized patients (including those diagnosed with Covid-19), challenged the implementation of infection prevention and control practices, and increased inappropriate antibiotic use.

As the pandemic continued, healthcare providers and public health professionals took aggressive action to prevent infections and protect lives, helping to reduce the burden of AR from its 2021 peak. CDC supported many of these efforts through American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funding to health-department Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Programs and CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) in all U.S. states, as well as some large cities and territories.

The following groups and others offer valuable infection prevention resources for facilities managers and staff:

• CDC’s Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safe Healthcare Delivery in All Settings
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Educational Opportunities and other resources
• ISSA/GBAC training courses
• ASHE Webinar: “Critical Partnerships that Create Success: Infection Prevention and Facility Management”
• InfectionControl.Tips
• Health Facilities Management: “Facility managers’ role in infection control” and “A facilities approach to preventing infection: What facilities management professionals should know about health care-associated infection transmissions”

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2023-24 ASHRAE President Ginger Scoggins, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, explained:

ASHRAE and AIHA will leverage our respective areas of expertise to develop comprehensive strategies and solutions for ensuring safer, healthier indoor environments. This collaboration will draw upon ASHRAE’s deep understanding of building systems and standards and AIHA’s broad knowledge of industrial hygiene and occupational health to address the complexities of indoor air quality. Together, we will work towards establishing indoor spaces that benefit occupants across various settings and enhance the overall well-being and productivity of individuals worldwide.

2023-24 AIHA President Dina Siegel, CIH, CSP, CBSP, FAIHA, stated:

Through this collaboration AIHA and ASHRAE will advance indoor air quality to the benefit of public and worker health. Our associations will advocate on local, national, and international levels — amplifying the reach of our indoor air quality policies, standards, communications, and technical publications. The combination of AIHA and ASHRAE expertise is an invaluable step towards improving worker safety.

The MOU includes, but is not limited to, the following initiatives:

• Joint promotion of codes and standards at the local, state and federal levels;

• Promotion of mutually beneficial positions during the development and passage of state and federal legislation;
• Exploration of the feasibility of creating new guidance documents that help interpret relevant ASHRAE standards vis-à-vis industrial hygiene/OEHS practice; and
• Investigation of opportunities to co-develop new courses or other training programs that take advantage of overlapping and complimentary expertise between ASHRAE and AIHA.

In addition to these initiatives, ASHRAE’s and AIHA’s specific areas of potential collaboration include advocacy; joint conferences and meetings; consistent leadership communication; publications, education and professional development; technical activities coordination; chapter and local involvement; public outreach/communications; and research.

For more information, see the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (PDF file).

AIHA is the association for scientists and professionals committed to preserving and ensuring occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) in the workplace and community.Founded in 1939, AIHA support its members with expertise, networks, comprehensive education programs, and other products and services that help them maintain the highest professional and competency standards.

Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is a global professional society committed to serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R), and their allied fields. As an industry leader in research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE and its members are dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment for all, through strategic partnerships with organizations in the HVAC&R community and across related industries.

The Society is showcasing integrated building solutions and sustainability in action through the opening of the ASHRAE Global Headquarters building in metro-Atlanta, Georgia.

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IFMA President and CEO Don Gilpin remarked:

Both IFMA and CIRI recognize that elevated focus on sustainable practices to ensure healthy environments both inside and out is a now-or-never priority. Our organizations share a deep respect for industry research as an essential requirement for understanding existing and emerging expectations for the profession. CIRI’s analyses and insights will help guide facility management professionals toward decisions that result in lower risk and higher safety for our facilities.

IFMA established its Strategic Partner Associations program in 2021 to provide built environment professionals with a single source of interdisciplinary skill-building training offered by the industry’s most well-respected and influential organizations. The program offers specialized training opportunities that address a range of mission-critical roles and cover the entire operational life cycle of the built environment.

Marilyn Black, Ph.D., VP and senior technical advisor for CIRI, stated:

The knowledge and research insights from CIRI will enable thousands of IFMA members to operate and maintain their facilities as top of class for occupant health and well-being. One of CIRI and IFMA’s first partner collaborations will define actionable steps for healthy air during wildfires.

Founded in 1980, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is considered the world’s largest, most widely recognized association for facility management (FM) professionals. Supporting more than 24,000 members in over 130 countries, IFMA is a key contributor to the development of international FM standards and works with decision makers to inform FM-related policy. IFMA provides career resources and continuing education, offers three industry-respected credentials, maintains the largest repository of FM-related content on the web and hosts year-round global events. With a vision to lead the future of the built environment to make the world a better place, IFMA believes in the benefit of global diversity, inclusion and social equity, and recognizes that sustainability, resilience and responsible environmental stewardship are paramount.

Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, publication, education, and communication on environmental exposures resulting from technologies and practices, their impact on human health, and processes for reducing health risks. CIRI provides actionable data and resources to help manufacturers, educators, healthcare providers, and consumers make informed environmental health decisions and risk reduction strategies for the protection of human health.

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing public safety through scientific discovery. Since 1894, the group’s research has advanced its mission toward a safer, more secure, and sustainable future. Focused on global risks from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, ULRI conducts rigorous independent research, analyzes safety data, and partners with experts to uncover and act on existing and emerging risks to human safety.

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The School District IAQ Management Plan Toolkit provides ready-to-use model plan language, background information, key resources, and case studies for school districts seeking to document or update their IAQ management practices.

By guiding users through each component of an IAQ management plan, this toolkit offers example plan language derived from real school district plans and from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit and resources, while also showcasing additional resources and case studies from school districts.

Users can download the IAQ management plan template, which consolidates all example language into an easily editable document, enabling you to customize an IAQ plan tailored to your district’s needs.

Download the School District IAQ Management Plan Toolkit from USGBC.

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