QUEBEC CITY - People in general would like to think the Avian Influenza, the deadly H5N1, is not going to be as much of a risk as the media sometimes makes it out to be. Health, safety, and building professionals can't afford to take that risk.
At its 2006 annual meeting, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) held a few different sessions on how to prepare for the next potential pandemic. They also took a look at what was learned from dealing with diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), the latter of which is still a major concern.