The Restoration Industry Association and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization have completed the development of the industry’s first draft standard regarding the identification of soot and char in HVAC systems.

The procedural standard, Evaluation of HVAC interior Surfaces to Determine the Impact From Fire-Related Particulate, took approximately 16 months to develop and recently underwent a peer review by the IESO Consensus Body.

“This standard will provide restoration professionals with an important tool when evaluating whether or not the interior surfaces of a mechanical system have been impacted by fire-related residues. It provides very specific inspection and sampling protocols and uses science to confirm their presence,” explained Tom Yacobellis, chairman of the standard sub-committee.