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Revision as of 02:27, 12 October 2016
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===The scam===
===The scam===
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In essence, the scam was developed by the tobacco industry with the active participation of proprietor [[Gray Robertson]] and his company [[ACVA]] (Later [[Healthy Buildings International]](HBI). <u>It involved the tobacco industry acting as an agent for ACVA/HBI:</u>
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In essence, the scam was developed by the tobacco industry with the active participation of proprietor [[Gray Robertson]] and his company [[ACVA]] (Later [[Healthy Buildings International]] (HBI). <u>It involved the tobacco industry acting as an agent for ACVA/HBI:</u>
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# An office building owner or renter harrassed by complaints from non-smokers to constant respiratory and eye-watering problems would contact his local branch of the Tobacco Institute. Everyone assumed these problems resulted from tobacco smoke in the air and inadequate air-conditioning filtration or air-exchange rates needed to handle the smoke.
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# An office building owner or renter
,
harrassed by complaints from non-smokers to constant respiratory and eye-watering problems
,
would contact his local branch of the Tobacco Institute. Everyone assumed these problems resulted from tobacco smoke in the air and inadequate air-conditioning filtration or air-exchange rates needed to handle the smoke.
# The Tobacco Institute representative would suggest that his problem would more likely be "Sick Building Syndrome" rather than second-hand smoke. They would say that the air quality needed to be checked, and the ducting system inspected, since in many cases the problem didn't derive from tobacco smoke. He would point out that occupants could die if the cause of an occupants illness was the deadly legionella bacteria which caused Legionnaire's Disease. (Legionella pneumophilia)
# The Tobacco Institute representative would suggest that his problem would more likely be "Sick Building Syndrome" rather than second-hand smoke. They would say that the air quality needed to be checked, and the ducting system inspected, since in many cases the problem didn't derive from tobacco smoke. He would point out that occupants could die if the cause of an occupants illness was the deadly legionella bacteria which caused Legionnaire's Disease. (Legionella pneumophilia)
# The Tobacco Institute (or Philip Morris/RJ Reynolds) would then recommend Gray Robertson and HBI (or one of the many competitors which emerged when employees woke up to how the scam operated). They would provide a secret subsidy which allowed the company to conduct the investigation at a reasonably low rate to the building owner/renter.
# The Tobacco Institute (or Philip Morris/RJ Reynolds) would then recommend Gray Robertson and HBI (or one of the many competitors which emerged when employees woke up to how the scam operated). They would provide a secret subsidy which allowed the company to conduct the investigation at a reasonably low rate to the building owner/renter.
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* The air conditioning installation and maintenance industry had a number of associations which actively promoted the same 'Sick Building Syndrome' scare campaigns and contributed to some of the services and legislative policies being promoted by the IAQ testing companies.
* The air conditioning installation and maintenance industry had a number of associations which actively promoted the same 'Sick Building Syndrome' scare campaigns and contributed to some of the services and legislative policies being promoted by the IAQ testing companies.
* The unions associated with air-conditioning, mainly the Sheet Metal Workers union, were also active supporters, as were the unions who had workers in manufacturing and the distribution and retailing sides of the business. They, in turn, influences the AFL-CIO, and many other unions. Some union supporters simply saw this in 'personal rights' terms; the right to smoke at work. The tobacco industry set up a special committee of labor-oriented lawyers under the banner of the ''[[Labor Management Committee]]'' to generate and foster this support.
* The unions associated with air-conditioning, mainly the Sheet Metal Workers union, were also active supporters, as were the unions who had workers in manufacturing and the distribution and retailing sides of the business. They, in turn, influences the AFL-CIO, and many other unions. Some union supporters simply saw this in 'personal rights' terms; the right to smoke at work. The tobacco industry set up a special committee of labor-oriented lawyers under the banner of the ''[[Labor Management Committee]]'' to generate and foster this support.
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* Building owners, renters and managers had a number of organisations which came under tobacco industry control, often by back-handed payments to their officials. The BOMA ([[Building Owners and Managers Association]] and BCIA
the
[[Business Council on Indoor Air]] were run as tobacco industry subsidiaries at various time
. Many
other similar organisations around the world received
payments
for similar support.
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* Building owners, renters and managers had a number of organisations which came under tobacco industry control, often by back-handed payments to their officials. The BOMA ([[Building Owners and Managers Association]]
)
and BCIA
(
[[Business Council on Indoor Air]]
"
were run as tobacco industry subsidiaries at various time
, as were many
other similar organisations around the world
. They all
received
'donations' and 'grants'
for similar support.
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* Standards setting for indoor air quality (IAQ) around the world came to depend on those set in the USA by ASHRAE
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* Standards setting for indoor air quality (IAQ) around the world came to depend on those set in the USA by ASHRAE
([[American Society of Heating, Refrigeration & Airconditioning Engineers]]) and it became a major pre-occupation of the tobacco industry and its IAQ testing allies to get their 'experts' onto the key committees setting these standards. [[Elia Sterling]] of [[TDS Ltd.]] was a major influence here.
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<table width="40%" bgcolor="eeeedd" border=1 rules=all cellpadding=5 align=right>
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<tr bgcolor="cccccc"><th>Legionella and Radon</th></tr>
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<tr><td> '''Legionnaires' Disease''', caused by Legionella bacteria, is a form of pneumonia that can be fatal. The bacteria are found in natural water bodies such as rivers, lakes, creeks and hot springs. They are also found in spas, potting mix, warm water systems and artificial systems that use water for cooling, heating or industrial processes, such as cooling towers. The main danger today is from potting mix.
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A person may catch Legionnaires' disease by breathing the mists that contain the bacteria, but you cannot catch it from another person or by drinking contaminated water. It was estimated that 20,000 Americans get a mild infection (like a common cold) from one of the 22 forms of Legionalla bacteria every year. Today severe cases are treated with antibiotics.
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Although this is a common bacteria in the environment, only a few who come in contact with the bacteria become seriously infected, and the risk with healthy children and young adults is very low. Usually few adults exposed to the concentrated bacteria develop a diagnosed disease, and those at greater risk, are: (a) those over 50 years of age (b) Smokers (c) People with chronic illness (lung and kidney disease and diabetes) (d) People with impaired immune system. </td></tr>
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<tr><td>'''Radon''', became a major concern during the Cold War era when there was a heightened awareness of nuclear radiation dangers. The gas is found naturally in areas of granite country and it can accumulate in basements, etc. ''Radon daughters'' are known to increase the risk of lung cancer, and the gas is synergistic with tobacco smoke. The tobacco industry found it useful to promote the dangers of radon, as part of their IAQ testing scam.</td></tr>
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<tr><td>'''Asbestos and glass fibre''', both were known to cause lung cancer. The smaller the fibre, the more danger it represents, because the active effect is for very tiny (beyond visual size) to penetrate lung cells and interfere with multiplication of the DNA (larger fibres kill the cells). Asbestos fibre inhalation is known to be highly synergistic with smoking as a cause of lung-cancer, but glass fibre remains only suspect in a very few cases (probably because of size).</td></tr><tr><td>'''Formaldehyde:''' The use of plastic foam insulation in some buildings created problems with the release of formaldehyde: this was a legitimate, but possibly minor concern. However it brought the chemical and plastics industries into cooperative agreements with tobacco and the IAQ testing companies.</td></tr><tr><td>'''Photocopies:''' The early office copying machines use fluid chemicals which vaporized and could be smelled by anyone entering the office copy-room. This became another (and legitimate) cause of concern.</td><tr></table>
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==History of IAQ testing==
==History of IAQ testing==
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Following World War II smoking became very common, and office buildings began to depend on air-conditioning. Prior to this, most offices had windows which could be opened, but in the USA and regions like Scandinavia (followed by the rest of the developed world), office building began to be sealed (air-tight windows) and rely on air-conditioning. This created costs when the energy crisis hit in the 1970s and the world faced engineered petroleum shortage and electricity price hikes; companies reduced their rate of exchange between indoor and outdoor air to reduce heating and cooling costs, and by the 1980s many of the early water-cooled rooftop units hadn't been cleaned or the ducting maintained.
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Then in 1976 there was an outbreak of a severe bacterial respiratory disease among members of the American Legion attending a Convention in Philadelphia. It became world news because
[[Gray Robertson]] formed a partnership with [[Peter Binnie]] to create ACVA ([[Air Conditioning and Ventilation Associates]]) in the early 1980s in Britain, and brought the company to the USA in 1981. Robertson had been the Technical Sales Director of Winton Laboratories in the UK, and Binnie had been the Technical Director. The laboratory had developed a new air-filtering material, and it sold easily accessible duct inspection ports. ACVA arrived in the USA with the rights to sell this equipment. Binnie and Robertson both claimed to have training in biomedical research (it is likely that Binnie did).
[[Gray Robertson]] formed a partnership with [[Peter Binnie]] to create ACVA ([[Air Conditioning and Ventilation Associates]]) in the early 1980s in Britain, and brought the company to the USA in 1981. Robertson had been the Technical Sales Director of Winton Laboratories in the UK, and Binnie had been the Technical Director. The laboratory had developed a new air-filtering material, and it sold easily accessible duct inspection ports. ACVA arrived in the USA with the rights to sell this equipment. Binnie and Robertson both claimed to have training in biomedical research (it is likely that Binnie did).
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: Not all US ventilation companies were corrupt. The honest companies generally advocated "source control" [removal of the source of contamination --generally tobacco smoke] rather than just "dilution" [increasing the filtration and boosting air-exchange rates]. Obviously, in many cases, both changes were needed.</font>
: Not all US ventilation companies were corrupt. The honest companies generally advocated "source control" [removal of the source of contamination --generally tobacco smoke] rather than just "dilution" [increasing the filtration and boosting air-exchange rates]. Obviously, in many cases, both changes were needed.</font>
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===
History of ACVA/HBI
===
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<B> 1976 </B> An illness caused by a bacterium later known as Legionella pneumophilia struck 182 people attending an American Legion convention in an air-conditioned hotel in Philadelphia. Twenty nine people died immediately from pneumonia-type symptoms, with another 5 subsequent fatalities. The disease was later identified as a variation on another disease named Pontiac Fever.
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'''Extract from a 1985 speech by Gray Robertson:'''<blockquote><i>
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This was the original scare-story which was later exploited by the chemical industry (which had a formaldehyde problem) and the tobacco industry (with passive smoking problems) as <B> "sick building syndrome." </B> <br> </div> <p> <TABLE class
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<tr bgcolor=#cccccc> <TH>History of company </th>
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<TR> <TD>
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1985
'''Extract from a 1985 speech by Gray Robertson:'''<blockquote><i>
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ACVA Atlantic Inc. was incorporated in 1981 to market the technology that the founders of ACVA helped develop whilst working with Winton Laboratories in England. The co-founders of ACVA, i.e. myself and Mr.Peter Binnie were respectively the lnternational Technical Sales Director and the Technical Director of Winton. '' <font color=green>[Note: This is in conflict with Robertson's own C/V]</font>
ACVA Atlantic Inc. was incorporated in 1981 to market the technology that the founders of ACVA helped develop whilst working with Winton Laboratories in England. The co-founders of ACVA, i.e. myself and Mr.Peter Binnie were respectively the lnternational Technical Sales Director and the Technical Director of Winton. '' <font color=green>[Note: This is in conflict with Robertson's own C/V]</font>
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We attributed the key reason for our success to the fact that we recognized the need to harness the diverse talents of Air Condtioning Engineers, Microbiologists and Chemists, three different disciplines unused to working together. [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/etc40c00/pdf] </i></blockquote>
We attributed the key reason for our success to the fact that we recognized the need to harness the diverse talents of Air Condtioning Engineers, Microbiologists and Chemists, three different disciplines unused to working together. [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/etc40c00/pdf] </i></blockquote>
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BOHS = British Occupational Hygiene Society (controlled by Lunau and Leslie)
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CIBSE = Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (The air conditioning trade group which benefitted along with the tobacco industry from higher maintenance and ventilation rates
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==Documents & Timeline==
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<B> 1976 </B> An illness caused by a bacterium later known as Legionella pneumophilia struck 182 people attending an American Legion convention in an air-conditioned hotel in Philadelphia. Twenty nine people died immediately from pneumonia-type symptoms, with another 5 subsequent fatalities. The disease was later identified as a variation on another disease named Pontiac Fever.
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This was the original scare-story which was later exploited by the chemical industry (which had a formaldehyde problem) and the tobacco industry (with passive smoking problems) as <B> "sick building syndrome." </B>
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<hr>
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<b>1986 Aug 15 </B> Fleishman-Hillard (Paul Johnson and Karen Doyne) sent [[Gray Robertson]] some material that he might be able to use during his ACVA media tour for the Tobacco Institute.<BLOCKQUOTE> <B> Radon and Legionnaire's Disease</B> <br>Attached is a story you may have seen in this morning's ''Post'' concerning new data on the threat of radon gas in private homes. It would be useful for you to mention during interviews, as a timely angle.
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Note in particular that the Environmental Protection Agency is recommending improved ventilation as a radon-reduction method. Is there any reason we can't extrapolate to relate the findings to larger, public buildings as well as private homes?
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At the same time, of course, we should take care to see that radon doesn't become the focus of our story -- and that you don't get dragged into a detailed discussion of the radon controversy. Note that EPA's radon-reduction recommendations also suggest that homeowners <u>stop smoking and not allow others to smoke in their homes</u> ("A Citizen's Guide to Radon," pp. 12-13.) <font color=green>[Their emphasis]</font>
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In addition, your surprisingly high estimate of the frequency of [[Legionnaires' Disease]] has prompted us to gather some data on outbreaks during the last few years. We are still in the process of putting it together, but as you can see from the attached example in Spokane, this could be very useful as a local angle for some of your interviews . [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/wum91f00/pdf]</BLOCKQUOTE>