This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.
   
  1. Air
  2. Fundamental material safety

Fundamental material safety

Features/Air/Feature 11

Fundamental material safety

Intent: 

To reduce or eliminate occupant exposure to lead, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from building materials.

Post Date: 15 Aug, 2018
Status: Approved

Projects may meet Feature 11 Part 1 by complying with requirements for maximum concentration values for toxic chemicals tolerated by weight in homogenous materials as required by European Union’s Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
Post Date: 29 May, 2018
Status: Approved

All newly installed building materials meet the following materials composition requirements:

  1. No asbestos >1% by weight in the following:
    • Thermal system insulation (applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, ducts or other like components to prevent heat loss or gain).
    • Surfacing material (that is sprayed, troweled or otherwise applied to surfaces, for example acoustical plaster or fireproofing materials).
    • Wallboard/millboard, resilient floor covering, roofing and siding shingles (including metal cladding) and construction mastics.
  2. For furnishings, at minimum 20% by cost of the following building product and material types contain < 100 ppm added lead:
    • Doors and door hardware.
    • Ductwork.
    • Conduits. 
    • Metal studs.
    • Mirrors/glass.
    • Brass cooler drains, pumps, motors and vales.
    • Roofing or flashing.
    • Vinyl blinds or wall covering.
    • Other (Product categories can be suggested for inclusion in the cost calculation, provided evidence/documentation for added lead content is presented.)

Wherever procurement of a product or a material type is not possible, the project is permitted to submit documentation demonstrating an attempt has been made, including a petition or formal request filed with at minimum three manufacturers (per product or material type) who were unable to meet their needs.
Post Date: 29 May, 2018
Status: Approved

Asbestos Content and Advocacy
All newly-installed building materials do not contain asbestos >1% by weight in the below materials. Wherever procurement of a product or a material not possible, the project is permitted to submit documentation demonstrating an attempt has been made, including a petition or formal request filed with at minimum 3 manufacturers (per product or material) who were unable to meet their needs.

  1. Thermal insulation (applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, or ducts)
  2. Acoustical plaster
  3. Fireproofing materials on structural members
  4. Wallboard/millboard
  5. Floor tile and sheeting
  6. Roofing and siding shingles (including metal cladding)
  7. Construction mastics

Lead Content
All newly-installed building materials meet the following material composition requirements:

  1. No more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead in wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures, and 0.20% for solder or flux used in plumbing for water intended for human consumption.
  2. No interior or exterior paints containing lead.
  3. Use of lead-free roofing and flashing.

Lead Advocacy
For each product type listed below (as applicable) projects submit documentation demonstrating a petition or a formal request is filed with at least three manufacturers to limit lead content to <100ppm.

  1. Door hardware
  2. Ductwork
  3. Conduit
  4. Metal studs
  5. Mirrors
  6. Brass cooler drains, pumps, motors, valves
  7. Vinyl blinds or wallcovering

Lead Disclosure
Project teams file a petition with an agency focused on protecting the public from risk or injury associated with consumer products, requesting a product label is developed for building products to verify lead content is below 100ppm.
Post Date: 05 Feb, 2018
Status: Approved

Complex electrical or data products that are made up entirely of small electrical components, such as fire alarms, meters, sensors, thermostats and load break switches, may meet the European Union’s Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive in lieu of the 100 ppm limit on added lead in Feature 11 Part 1c. RoHS establishes the following maximum concentration values for chemicals by weight in homogeneous materials:
1. Lead (Pb): < 1000 ppm
2. Mercury (Hg): < 100 ppm
3. Cadmium (Cd): < 100 ppm
4. Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI): < 1000 ppm
5. Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB): < 1000 ppm
6. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE): < 1000 ppm
7. Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP): < 1000 ppm
8. Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP): < 1000 ppm
9. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): < 1000 ppm
10. Disobutyl phthalate (DIBP): < 1000 ppm