The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has revealed four new Safety First Pilot Credits in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Credits outline sustainable best practices that align with public health and industry guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting, workplace re-occupancy, HVAC, and plumbing operations. The new credits can be applied to LEED projects already certified or undergoing certification.
“These new credits are a first step in helping the building and construction industry demonstrate its commitment to sustainable strategies as part of building a healthier, more resilient future,” says Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC. “Supporting environmental and occupant health is a critical part of supporting community health and, as we look ahead, we know LEED and the USGBC community will play a role in delivering solutions that lay a better foundation for our economic and environmental wellbeing.”
- The Safety First: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Space credit requires facilities to establish policies and procedures that follow green cleaning best practices and support a healthy indoor environment and worker safety.
- The Safety First: Re-Enter Your Workspace credit is applied to assess and plan for re-entry, as well as measure progress once a space becomes occupies.
- The Safety First: Building Water System Recommission credit allows teams to reduce the risk of occupants exposed to degraded water quality following stagnation as a result of business closures.
- Finally, the Safety First: Managing Indoor Air Quality During COVID-19 credit expands upon existing indoor air quality requirements and credits in LEED to ensure indoor air quality systems are operating as designed and determine temporary adjustments to ventilation that may minimize the spread of COVID-19 through the air.
