| The impacts of
the operation and maintenance of a building and associated
grounds on the health of its occupants and the environment
at large can be significant. A building and its grounds
constitute a microcosm or miniature version of a city: it
takes in materials, expels other materials as waste, and
uses a lot of energy in lighting, heating, and air
conditioning the space. In addition, each building has its
own climate and atmosphere, often more polluted than the
outside air. The flow of materials alone is significant,
with tap water, paper products, lighting, carpet, paint,
cleaning products, and many others coming in. Some of these,
such as cleaning products, carpet, and paint, may have
impacts on maintenance workers and building occupants while
used. Others are disgorged to streams through sewage where
they can harm aquatic life or escape to the atmosphere to
exacerbate local air pollution, global warming, or ozone
depletion.
It is intended to
minimize such adverse impacts on health and the environment
from the operation and maintenance of Commonwealth
government buildings and grounds. If followed carefully, it
should lessen the load of toxic or otherwise unhealthful
substances both on maintenance workers and on building
occupants. It will also enable maintenance workers to create
a building microcosm that minimizes waste, uses more
sustainable materials and systems, and uses energy in the
most efficient way possible. Maintenance workers can feel
proud that they are helping to achieve a safer and more
sustainable world for all Commonwealth residents.
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