ASHRAE Standard 241 Control of Infectious Aerosols

Download the official ASHRAE Standard 241 Control of Infectious Aerosols document.

The development of Standard 241 was the result of a  crucial discussion between ASHRAE and the White House COVID-19 Response Team, recognizing the urgent need for enhanced indoor air quality (IAQ) standards. ASHRAE was encouraged to spearhead the development of a new standard focused on effectively controlling airborne pathogens. In response, on December 6, 2022, the ASHRAE Board of Directors authorized the creation of this standard, with the ambitious goal of publishing it within six months. To expedite the process, special procedures were implemented.

The Board-approved project scope also emphasized the intention to incorporate similar provisions into existing ASHRAE IAQ standards, particularly ANSI/ASHRAE Standards 62.1 and 62.2, potentially as optional requirements. During the ASHRAE 2023 winter meeting, the Project Committee roster, as well as the title, purpose, and scope of the standard, received approval, and the committee commenced its work in February. Subsequently, a draft was approved for advisory public review on May 11, 2023, which generated an extensive response of over 1000 comments.

After considering the feedback, the revised draft gained approval for publication by the Project Committee on June 15, 2023. Finally, the ASHRAE Standards Committee provided its final approval on June 24, 2023, paving the way for the publication of the standard.