Building codes vary from place to place. There are several points on which they specify things of importance to IAQ. They normally specify for commercial structures the amount of outside air that is to be supplied by the ventilation system. In addition, they are often very specific on points of construction which may affect such things as carbon monoxide problems, moisture entry into the building, and re-entry of exhaust fumes.

The codes that apply to a building are those that were in force at the date the building was permitted, or following construction or remodel. Codes change slowly, in response to changes in standards and scientific consensus. Therefore, even a new building may not be constructed in accordance with current scientific thought.

I am not a lawyer, and the following is a lay person's summary of what I know about the subject. See an attorney if you are serious about pursuing legal recourse (or if you are being sued). There have been many lawsuits filed on IAQ; nearly all have been settled out of court, some for substantial amounts of money.  Only one lawsuit in the U.S. has, to date, gone all the way through the court system, resulted in a jury decision, and an award for the plaintiffs. This was a suit of some EPA employees against the owners and managers of the EPA headquarters building in Washington D.C. Five employees were awarded a total of $950,000, an amount which probably did not cover the legal fees involved. The case is under appeal. If it stands up, it is important mainly because it establishes the owners and managers of a building as legally responsible for the IAQ affecting the health of occupants.

The ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists) has published a manual called "Guidelines for the Assessment of Bioaerosols in the Indoor Environment." While it does not go into great detail, it provides all the most important basic data on this subject.  ACGIH also issues exposure limits for chemicals in the workplace, called "Threshold Limit Values," which are widely used in assessing whether excessive chemical exposure has occurred.

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), the industry trade group for air-conditioning system manufacturers, has published a booklet of guidelines for design, installation, and maintenance of A/C systems for good air quality. This booklet provides most of the basic information one should know on these issues.

ASHRAE (American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers) has promulgated a national consensus standard, 62-1989, "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality". This document specifies the amount of outside air to be supplied to different types of facilities; it specifies some things in regards to design and operation of ventilation systems; and it specifies some things in regards to contaminants in the air.  It is the single most referred-to document in regards to indoor air quality issues.  It is also currently under revision, however, the committee involved in this is having a great deal of difficulty coming to agreement on it, even before it goes out for public comment. Committee members include IAQ experts as well as representatives of the tobacco industry, commercial building owners, union representatives, and others. Stay tuned on this one.

In some cases, indoor air quality issues can become a public health issue, with County Health Departments involved, and possible building closures. Outbreaks of Legionnaire's disease are one scenario. Others are scenarios are also possible. However, Health Departments rarely get involved in IAQ situations unless they are very serious. Fire department hazardous material teams will often respond to serious acute incidents (e.g., carbon monoxide poisonings, waves of nausea or fainting resulting in a building evacuation, etc.). Neither type of agency is normally equipped or inclined to deal with routine IAQ situations (e.g., sick building syndrome cases).

In April of 1994, OSHA proposed, for the first time, indoor air quality rules which would apply to every commercial facility in the U.S., including offices, government buildings, medical facilities, schools, retail stores, even break rooms in industrial plants.  There were two major portions to this proposed rule-making. One part dealt with tobacco smoking, basically barring smoking in any area of a commercial facility except for dedicated smoking lounges. This has been fought tooth-and-nail by the tobacco industry.  The other part of the rules deals with general indoor air quality issues. It requires actions such as periodic inspections, record keeping, ensuring that ventilation systems are operating as designed, and response to IAQ complaint situations.  A final rule issuance is planned for later this year (1995) though there is some doubt if this will actually occur.

The Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to formally notify employees of exposure to chemicals which may be hazardous to their health. In rare cases this will apply to IAQ problems. An example would be if the inside of a building is massively contaminated with a toxigenic mold.

IAQ is in general hardly regulated at all. There are some codes, statutes, and regulations which cover some points. The only specific codes are likely to be building codes applicable at the time the building was permitted. Some very general statutes can (and often are) applied to IAQ situations. There are some specific standards and guidelines.