scope:

This standard of practice specifies minimum requirements for methods that mitigate risks to occupants posed by the presence of radon gas and chemical vapors or gas in existing multifamily, school, commercial and mixed-use buildings. ³

Multifamily

This standard of practice is applicable to a wide range of multifamily buildings including, among others, buildings or structures, or a portion thereof used as townhouses, apartment houses, convents, dormitories, military congregate residences, fraternities and sororities, and boarding houses, hotels, live/work units, monasteries, motels, and vacation timeshare properties.

Schools and office buildings

This standard of practice is applicable to a wide range of schools and office buildings including, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof for: Business occupancies (Group B ) including for offices, educational and training facilities, professional services or service-type transactions; and Educational occupancies (Group E) including for religious and educational purposes through the 12th grade and day care facilities.

Commercial and mixed-use buildings

The scope of this standard also includes: Assembly occupancies (Group A) including for the gathering of persons for purposes such as civic, social or religious functions; Factory occupancies (Group F) including for fabrication or manufacturing, repair or processing; High-hazard occupancies (Group H); Institutional occupancies (Group I) including for where people are cared for or live in a supervised environment be it under restraint or security, detained in a penal institution, or for medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing, custodial care or for child care facility purposes; and, Mercantile occupancies (Group M) including for the sale of merchandise, goods, wares or merchandise incidental to such purposes and accessible to the public.

Limitations

Source materials This standard does not address practices associated with characterization, possession, handling, containment, generation, or disposal of radioactive or chemically contaminated materials.

Mitigation methods

This standard of practice addresses nearly all methods that reduce occupant exposure to radon or chemical vapors and gas in indoor air. However, it does not specify requirements related to removal or encapsulation of radioactive or chemical sources.

This standard of practice does not specify requirements for practices related to:

a) Removal of radon gas or chemicals from water or outdoor air;

b) Biological or chemical methods that seek to neutralize toxicity of contaminated soil; and

c) Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE), including contaminant capture and disposal methods.

Informative advisory-Active soil gas depressurization (ASD) methods prescribed in this standard mitigate occupant risk by preventing soil gas entry into occupied spaces. These designs need only address soil gas volumes that would otherwise intrude into a building. SVE designs that extract volatile organic compounds (VOC) mass from the soil are not inherently designed to mitigate the current risk to occupants unless also demonstrating functional performance as required in Section 9 Post-mitigation.

Combustible gas

This standard of practice does not address all practices that may be required for mitigation of potentially combustible soil gases.

Jurisdictional compliance

This standard of practice does not contain all code or other requirements of the jurisdictions where the mitigation system is installed. Adherence to this standard does not guarantee or supersede compliance with the applicable codes or regulations of any federal, provincial, state, or local agency with jurisdiction.

Safety

This standard of practice is not intended to address all safety concerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate health and safety practices, and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use of this standard.

Design and warranties

This standard of practice is not intended to be used as a complete design manual. Compliance with its provisions will not guarantee reduction of indoor radon or soil gas to any specific concentration.

³ As point of reference, see the International Building Code (IBC) as published by the International Code Council.