We are IBEC.
The Integrated Bioscience and Built Environment Consortium

This non-profit was temporarily called the International Association of Scientific Critical Cleaning.  This organization’s name changed almost immediately as it was pointed out that in today’s world, the word clean has too many meanings, and the standards available to create a certification program using scientific efficacy studies did not yet exist. The very idea of being a science-based organization was revealing the science was not ready. 

Jayne and Ken started and maintained regular meetings with the steering committee as the world began to see what the founding team had predicted. The shutdowns were going to last significantly longer than a few months. With guidance from the steering committee, the idea of a global summit was born. The purpose of this summit would be to bring together leaders from business, policy, standards development, science, and engineering to understand current knowledge better and identify opportunities to work together to control viral transmission in the built environment. This stimulated another iteration of the organization, and the name changed again.    The International Association of Bioscience Environmental Criteria (IBEC). IBEC saw the opportunity to be the bridge between proven scientific processes & real-world applications for healthy congregation.

The idea was to bring industry leaders such as IBM, 3M, and General Motors, corporate leaders such as Hilton, Marriott, and Coca-Cola, and experimental scientists and engineers from universities and national laboratories to discuss the topics of infectious agents and contamination of the built environment. They would distinguish the current practices and already identified gaps in clean-up operations and human/ social system best practices to mitigate infectious agent exposure. This summit would unfold over multiple days to foster in-depth discussion and grow understanding of the science, economic and social impact of the complex interactions of viral transmission in the built environment. To manage the costs associated with this event, IBEC submitted paperwork to Florida to incorporate a non-profit 501C-3, IBEC, Inc.

Objective: To discuss the current science and Technology Solutions, Gaps, and Research Needs Goals: Assess the state of the science for COVID transmission reduction in the built environment Share existing standards and guidance activities across the landscape Discuss best practices, data-driven solutions, and innovative technologies to help people feel confident and safe in the places where they choose to congregate Identify opportunities to transition research into practice to recover from biological contamination and safely return to routine activities

Objective: Supporting Science & Innovation for Clean Spaces and Healthy Congregation for the Workforce and Work Space Goals: Identify current standards and guidance being implemented in the workplace Understand current best practices to implement identified standards and help further mitigate risks in the workforce Identify current science-based best practices that would allow the workforce to further reduce risk to the public.

Objective: Confidence in PPE – Science, and Fidelity of PPE Supporting Healthy Workforce and Workplaces Goals: Identify opportunities to align efforts of public safety, public health, and law enforcement to ensure safe and legitimate PPE supply chains  Understand opportunities for collaboration across industry, labor, government, and academic stakeholders to rapidly address identified needs and capability gaps. Identification of opportunities to coordinate knowledge products to establish confidence in PPE. Identify and share research needs with attendees, including policymakers, associations, research entities, standards organizations, and other non-profits who are working to fund knowledge gaps in response to COVID-19

IBEC brought together a diverse group of air quality experts and leaders to discuss the industry’s current state and explained the organization’s vision for an operational indoor air quality framework.

IBEC developed and distributed knowledge products related to Invasive Group A Streptococcus at the request and recommendation of IBEC Scientific Advisory Board Members. 

IBEC hosted a virtual follow up meeting with stakeholders and potential partners on the development of an operational indoor air quality framework.  Over 46 individuals representing over a dozen different groups, agencies, or organizations registered and participated. 

IBEC provided valuable public comments on the new ASHRAE 241 Standard “Control of Infectious Aerosols,” which was released in the summer of 2023. This standard informs how the indoor air quality industry will be regulated.

IBEC successfully hosted its first installment of the Lessons Learned web series focusing on indoor air quality and infectious disease transmission in the built environment. With 225 registrations, the event featured speakers from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

IBEC helped shape the future of indoor air quality regulations and policy by working with Johns Hopkins University to create and share draft state-level legislation introduced in Massachusetts to enhance indoor air quality in public buildings.

In the second of the six-part CLEAN Lessons Learned series dedicated to indoor air quality (IAQ) and its impact on infectious disease transmission in the built environment, IBEC shifted its focus to a topic of utmost importance: understanding the presence, risks, and ways to mitigate the spread of infectious disease in indoor spaces. With 132 registrations, the event featured speakers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), Biosafety International, the National Strategic Research Institute at the University of Nebraska (NSRI), and McGill University.

In the fourth installment of IBEC’s six-part CLEAN Lessons Learned series dedicated to indoor air quality (IAQ) and its impact on infectious disease transmission in the built environment, IBEC discussed innovative techniques for measuring airborne biological hazards, aiming to bridge the gap between current indoor air quality assessments and the need for more nuanced approaches to validate health risks. With over 100 registrations, the event featured speakers from Safetraces, WSP, Northern Illinois University, Exposure Assessment Consulting, LLC, Ohio State University, Yale University, and Insight Exposure & Risk Sciences Group.