Commercial Radon Testing

 

Whether you are an employee or business owner, you probably spend a great deal of time at your work. Most of us spend at least eight hours a day at the office, but we all know that it may be as many as sixty or eighty hours a week. Spending that much time at work and inhaling radon gas for those extended periods of times may be just as unhealthy as if radon is in your home. If you are a business owner in Central Illinois, I highly encourage you to hire a specialist for commercial radon testing. If you are an employee in the Champaign or Decatur areas, encourage your company to conduct commercial radon testing at your office. Similar to residential radon testing, it is important to hire a specialist who has been trained, certified, and is experienced in testing and mitigation of offices.

Pristine Inspections & Testing is certified and state licensed to perform radon testing in commercial buildings, multifamily units, schools, and daycare centers. In Illinois, you must have a Professional license and also licensed to perform school and commercial building testing. Commercial testing requires testing of every occupied room, excluding closets, bathrooms, locker rooms, and laundry rooms) that is in contact with the or directly above the soil. If the room is currently The test is normally run during the period through the week when the building is occupied. The radon testing device is normally placed in an area of the room with the least likely hood that it will be disturbed or be in the way of normal activities.

The devices would be installed and picked up during off hours to reduce the interference with your clients. All of the individual readings will be analyzed and documents created to report the average radon levels in the areas tested. The report will also identify the action steps based on the results.

 

Schools

 

In 2009, a bill was passed, Public Act 96-0417 :

- Recommends that every occupied school building of a school district be tested every 5 years for radon.

- Recommends that new schools of a school district be built using radon resistant construction techniques.

- Allows a school district to maintain, make available for review, and notify parents and faculty of test results.

- Requires the district to report radon test results to the State Board of Education.

- Requires the State Board to prepare a report every 2 years of the results from all schools that have performed tests, to be submitted to the General Assembly and the Governor.

- Authorizes IEMA to allow school staff to test for radon if they have been trained to perform screening tests.

- Recommends that if the results of a radon screening test are found to be 4.0 pCi/L or above, the school district may hire a licensed radon professional to perform measurements before any mitigation decisions are made.

-If radon levels of 4.0 pCi/L or above are found, it is recommended that affected areas be mitigated by a licensed radon mitigation professional with respect to both design and installation.

Daycare Centers

National studies have found that exposure to radon is linked to lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking. There is no scientific evidence that children are at a higher risk from radon than adults. The risk estimates are based on exposure over a lifetime, and most lung cancer cases occur after age 60. Radon does not appear to be linked to any other diseases, such as asthma.

When considering the risk to children, keep in mind that children spend more than 75 percent of their time at home, during the year. While it is important to test centers for radon, it is even more important to test your home and mitigate if there are high levels of radon.

 

HOW WILL CENTERS BE TESTED?

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The Illinois Emergency Management Association (IEMA) requires that all frequently occupied rooms (such as classrooms and offices) that are in contact with the ground, or are directly above unoccupied areas of the basement, should be tested. Testing must be done by a Professional licensed by IEMA for large buildings and schools.  Testing consists of placing a test device in each room, exposing it for several days, and then returning it to a laboratory to be measured.

Illinois passed a couple of laws in 2012 regarding radon testing  for child care centers, homes and group homes.

  • Effective January 1, 2013, licensed day care centers, licensed day care homes, and licensed group day care homes shall have the facility tested for radon at least once every 3 years.
  • Effective January 1, 2014, as part of an initial application or renewal application of a license for day care centers, day care homes, and group day care homes, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) shall require proof the facility has been tested within the last 3 years for radon according to rules established by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
  • The report of the most current radon measurement shall be posted in the facility next to the license issued by the Department. Copies of the report shall be provided to parents or guardians upon request.
  • Included with the report shall be the following statement:
    • “Every parent or guardian is notified that this facility has performed radon measurements to ensure the health and safety of the occupants. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) recommends that all residential homes be tested and that corrective actions be taken at levels equal to or greater than 4.0 pCi/L.  Radon is a Class A human carcinogen, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. For additional information about this facility contact the licensee and for additional information regarding radon contact the IEMA Radon Program at 800-325-1245 or on the Internet at www.radon.illinois.gov.”

You can reach the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) for more information about radon, including lists of IEMA-licensed measurement and mitigation contractors, is available at www.radon.Illinois.gov or by calling the Radon Hotline at 800-325-1245.