The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas in ambient air. It can also accumulate in varying amounts in enclosed buildings. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of lung cancer deaths each year. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today.

Our increased understanding of the risks posed by indoor radon has underscored the need for construction techniques that prevent exposure to radon in residential and non-residential buildings. The Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1988 states, "The national long-term goal of the United States with respect to radon levels in buildings is that the air within buildings should be as free of radon as the ambient air outside the building." This course is intended to address this goal in the new construction of schools and other large buildings.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

The following three radon prevention techniques are recommended for construction of schools and other large buildings in radon-prone areas:

  · Install an active soil depressurization (ASD) system.
  · Pressurize the building using the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
  · Seal major radon entry routes.

Specific guidelines on how to incorporate these radon prevention features in the design and construction of schools and other large buildings are detailed in this course.

  · Review of Passive Soil Depressurization (PSD) systems
  · Review of Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) systems
  · Review of Sub-membrane Depressurization (SMD) systems
  · Review of (PFE) measurement of the sub-slab pressure field or sub-slab communication.
  · Review Pressure-driven transport of radon gas

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.