HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2154        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2025

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to the use of HEPA vacuums..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Whereas, Article 97 of the Constitution of Massachusetts provides that the people shall have the right to clean air:

The purpose of this Act is to improve the quality of indoor air, and thereby reduce or prevent incidence of acute and chronic illness that are known to occur due to exposure to poor IAQ.  The Act intends to ensure that the use of True (airtight) HEPA Filter vacuums that prevent the escape of dust and biological agents from the vacuum unit, and minimize the adverse effects of re-suspended dust, will reduce the concentration in indoor air of biological agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, pollen, dust, dust mites and other insects, animal dander (tiny scales from hair, skin, or feathers) and molds. In hospitals and health care facilities, the use of HEPA filter vacuums is intended to further reduce exposure to airborne particulates from natural rubber latex, a known allergen.

The Act is intended to ensure that all surfaces such as shelving, carpeting, furniture, office equipment, walls, window screens, fans, grilles of heating and cooling units, refrigerator coils, and HVAC unit vent covers are dust and particulate free, thereby reducing the concentration of any or all of them in the indoor air, in air circulated through any operative HVAC systems, and as substrates on which further biological growth may thrive, particularly in the presence of moisture. 

The Act is further intended to ensure that the reduction in concentration of surface and airborne particles, which are known to act as triggers for asthma, sinusitis, hives, severe anaphylactic reactions that can cause death, respiratory illness, dermatitis, and other acute and chronic medical conditions in susceptible patients, students, medical personnel, teachers, workers and all support staff, will cause the costs associated with the incidence of illness, such as lost work time, lost productivity, and impaired ability to learn, to be reduced; and cause costs related to demand for medical care, use of medical insurance, and demand for supplemental education to be reduced.

The Act is intended to ensure that all contracts with cleaning companies of record stipulate:

1.  Regular and sole use of True HEPA Filter vacuum units.

2.  The condition that vacuuming is to be included in the cleaning contract, with further stipulation as to frequency of vacuuming, areas to be vacuumed, specific attention to be paid to identifiable problem areas, or to heavily trafficked areas.

3.  Regular and required maintenance of the HEPA filter vacuum unit, the cleaning or replacement of the HEPA filter, either scheduled or whenever deemed necessary by either operator or employee observer, designated or other.