Safely reopening schools with CalSHAPE (AB 841)
Information provided by Emily Mills, CAL SMACNA Communications and Special Projects Coordinator, and Duane Davies, NABCO CEO
When school is in session, that’s where most children spend a majority of their day. But the problem is that many schools don’t have the proper ventilation to keep unhealthy pollutants out of their indoor air, reducing the cognitive ability for students to be successful learners. In fact, UC Davis reported in a 2019 study that 85% of 94 HVAC systems in California K-12 classrooms didn’t provide adequate ventilation.
Even prior to COVID-19, CAL SMACNA recognized that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels were too high and were working with UC Davis, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and others on a solution.
With the passage of AB 841 last September and funding that officially began in July, Bay Area and CAL SMACNA contractors are well poised to become partners in the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE).
CalSHAPE is a three-year, $500 million school HVAC facility assessment and improvement program for more than 10,000 K-12 schools throughout the state. The first phase of grants will go to underserved and disadvantaged schools in areas impacted the most by poor quality air, such as near major highways.
“School districts can apply for a grant plus 20% to cover the assessment, which includes ensuring MERV 13 filters are installed and that all classrooms have the required CO2 sensors,” said Duane Davies, CAL SMACNA board member and NABCO CEO. “A certified technician will then measure the amount of outside air and determine if it’s sufficient per ASHRAE guidelines and perform a thorough inspection of the HVAC system. If it’s not operating within design parameters, a licensed architect, engineer or contractor will put together a list of action items. Repair work must be done by a skilled and trained workforce which is predominantly our union contractors.”
The school ventilation program, in tandem with the new mechanical acceptance testing requirements for Title 24, has created a new urgency for sheet metal workers to quickly become certified as Mechanical Acceptance Testing Technicians (MATT) if they haven’t already done so. In short, the technician certification requirements for participation in the school ventilation program are as follows:
Qualified testing personnel
To participate in the ventilation testing and assessment portion of the program, contractors will be required to use technicians considered to be “Qualified Testing Personnel” defined as either a certified TAB technician, or a MATT Level 1 or Level 2 technician. All certifications required for “Qualified Testing Personnel” and “Qualified Adjusting Personnel” are provided for CAL SMACNA members through ICB and offered through your local JATC. Interested technicians should contact the local JATC Coordinator ASAP.
Qualified adjusting personnel
To participate in the adjustment portion of the program, contractors will be required to use technicians who are either a certified TAB Technician (TABB, AABC or NEBB) or a skilled and trained technician (graduate of a sheet metal apprenticeship program) operating under supervision of a TAB tech.
Repair / equipment replacement personnel
To perform repairs or replacements, contractors must use a “skilled and trained workforce,” meaning 60% of the technicians on the job (or equivalent manhours) must be graduates of the Sheet Metal apprenticeship program.
CAL SMACNA is working with SMART and each of our JATCs to ensure all contractors have access to the MATT certification programs for their technicians. Remember, MATT certification isn’t just required by AB 841 — it’s also required for Title 24 mechanical acceptance testing. (See page 28 for more information.)