Last updated
Last updated
A study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found Americans spend roughly 90% of their time indoors. Indoor environmental quality is a critical factor in the overall health and well-being of building occupants. Improving indoor environments creates positive occupant experiences, increases the likelihood they enjoy and care about the building, improves productivity and bolsters retention. Buildings with stand-out indoor environments become desirable destinations.
Four metrics are available in the “Health” category:
To assess how well the portfolio is performing for the occupants, with regards to comfort, customization, joy and belonging and to better understand paths toward consistent satisfaction.
Occupant Satisfaction Survey
A questionnaire used to determine occupant satisfaction with the indoor environmental quality of a property.
Number or percentage of properties with completed occupant satisfaction surveys.
Performance Approach A (absolute performance): Verification of the number or percentage of properties where an Occupant Satisfaction Survey was completed across the defined portfolio for the reporting year.
Performance Approach B (performance change): Verification of the change from a baseline year in the percentage of properties where an Occupant Satisfaction Survey was completed across the defined portfolio.
Provide the total number of properties within the portfolio for which an Occupant Satisfaction Survey was completed for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and for the reporting year and a baseline year (Performance Approach B).
Describe the method, standard, tool and/or framework used to develop and administer the survey. Acceptable tools and standards include but are not limited to:
The Occupant Satisfaction Survey must:
Be administered to all regular building occupants with visitors as optional.
Be anonymous and protect all occupant-identifying data.
Have results communicated in aggregate only.
Aim for a high rate of response and achieve at least a 15% response rate.
Include questions pertaining to satisfaction with air quality, light, acoustics, thermal comfort, ergonomics, layout, maintenance and cleanliness.
Report overall occupant satisfaction across portfolio. Describe how survey results were communicated and identified issues were resolved.
Portfolio-Level Documentation:
Methodology: Describe how the organization implemented Occupant Satisfaction Surveys across the portfolio.
Tools, standards, and/or frameworks used to develop and administer the surveys.
Teams responsible for administering the survey, analyzing, and communicating results.
Template surveys used, if applicable.
Summary: Provide documentation that summarizes the occupant satisfaction ratings across the portfolio and any actions taken to communicate results or resolve issues identified by the survey.
Property-Level Documentation:
Property-Level Data: Using the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form, identify the properties for which an occupant satisfaction survey was completed for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and baseline year and reporting year (Performance Approach B). For each property, disclose the survey response rate. Alternative documentation (e.g., spreadsheets prepared for other reporting entities or internal tracking sheets, etc.) may be provided if it includes the same information as the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form.
Property-Level Sample Documents: Provide the following documents for a sample of SQRT(n) properties, where ‘n’ is the total number of properties in the portfolio. A list of properties selected for sampling will be provided during the portfolio creation process via the Multiple Property Upload Template.
The Occupant Satisfaction Survey implemented at the property. Ensure the survey includes the name and address of the property and date(s) the survey was administered.
Survey result summaries, including:
Type of occupants surveyed.
Number of occupants surveyed.
Response rate.
Overall occupant satisfaction score or rating.
Actions pursued to communicate results and resolve issues identified by the survey.
Alternative documentation showing compliance with LEED O+M v4.1 Prerequisite IEQ Performance or WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) v2 Community precondition C04 Occupant Survey may be provided in lieu of property-level documentation.
Occupant Response Rate:
Calculated by dividing the total number of surveys completed by the total number of occupants surveyed for each property.
S = Total number of surveys completed O = Total number of occupants in assets surveyed
Percentage of Properties:
Calculated by dividing the number of properties where an occupant survey was administered by the total number of properties in the defined portfolio and multiplying the fraction by 100.
N = Number of properties where an occupant survey was administered T = Total number of properties in the portfolio
Performance Change:
Performance change between the reporting year and a baseline year is calculated for this metric using the percentage point change formula:
RY = Reporting Year BY = Baseline Year
Occupant Satisfaction Survey: A survey to determine occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality typically assessed on a point scale. For example, seven- point scale may include the following options: very dissatisfied, dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, somewhat satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied.
Survey Concept: An item in a survey used by a portfolio to measure occupant satisfaction. Survey concepts can include satisfaction of space temperature, lighting levels, cleanliness and noise. Survey concepts can be chosen from relevant standards listed in the References above.
Overall Satisfaction Score: The overall satisfaction of occupants with a property based on the criteria contained in the occupant survey. Overall satisfaction is represented as a percentage of satisfied occupants from those surveyed. For example, on a seven-point scale, the overall satisfaction score would include the percentage of all occupants indicating they were somewhat satisfied (5), satisfied (6), and very satisfied (7).
Acoustical Comfort: The subjective human perception of the sonic environment in any given space, including enclosures and open environments.
Indoor Environmental Quality: A combination of a building’s indoor air quality (IAQ) with thermal, visual, and acoustic comfort conditions.
Regular Building Occupants: Habitual users of a building. These could include part-time and full-time employees, staff, volunteers, residents, primary and secondary school students, hotel guests and inpatients, depending on the building type.
Visitors: Occasional users of a building. These could include retail customers, outpatients, volunteers and higher-education students, depending on the building type.
Response Rate: The ratio of survey respondents to survey recipients. A minimum response rate of 15% is considered desirable.
To support indoor air quality awareness and proactive management of occupant health, comfort, and productivity.
Indoor Air Quality Monitoring
Utilization of continuous monitoring devices throughout the portfolio to actively monitor IAQ by ongoing measurement of various indicators (e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc.).
The number or percentage of properties across a portfolio with continuous IAQ monitoring.
Performance Approach A (absolute performance): Verification of the number or percentage of properties with continuous IAQ monitoring across the defined portfolio for the reporting year.
Performance Approach B (performance change): Verification of the change from a baseline year in the percentage of properties with continuous IAQ monitoring across the defined portfolio.
Provide the total number of properties within the portfolio with systems in place to monitor IAQ continuously for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and for the reporting year and a baseline year (Performance Approach B).
Describe the methodology, standard, tool and/or framework used to develop and implement the IAQ monitoring process across the portfolio.
The monitors must measure one or more of the following indoor air parameters: carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) for a minimum of three consecutive months at an interval of no longer than one hour. Data can be collected at any point during the reporting year. Monitors must be building grade or better.
Other IAQ parameters that may be considered for monitoring include ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde, temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH).
Portfolio-Level Documentation:
Methodology: Provide documentation describing portfolio-level procedures implemented to monitor IAQ across the portfolio. Documentation should describe:
The tools, standards or frameworks used to guide the IAQ monitoring.
The tracking systems used to monitor data, the types of monitors, the parameters that were monitored, acceptable thresholds (if any), any process for implementing IAQ assessments and taking action on identified issues.
The team(s) responsible for managing the implementation of the indoor air quality monitoring process across properties and analyzing and communicating results.
Property-Level Documentation:
Property-Level Data: Indicate in the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form the properties for which continuous IAQ monitoring systems were in place for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and for baseline year and reporting year (Performance Approach B). Alternative documentation (e.g., spreadsheets prepared for other reporting entities, internal tracking sheets, etc.) may be provided if it includes the same information as the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form.
Property-Level Sample Documents: Provide the following documents for a sample of SQRT(n) properties, where ‘n’ is the total number of properties in the portfolio. A list of properties selected for sampling will be provided during the portfolio creation process via the Multiple Property Upload Template.
IAQ monitoring reports from the property indicating the aspects and contaminants monitored, their associated threshold levels, and logs of trended data.
Documentation of types and specifications of monitoring equipment used
Reports on any issues identified and actions taken to address the issues.
Alternative documentation showing compliance with any equivalent LEED credits or WELL features through certification scorecards may be provided in lieu of property-level documentation.
Percentage of Properties with IAQ Monitoring:
Calculated by dividing the number of properties with continuous IAQ monitoring by the total number of properties in the defined portfolio. This is multiplied by 100 to convert to a percentage.
N = Number of properties with continuous IAQ monitoring T = Total number of properties in the portfolio
Performance Change:
Performance change between the reporting year and a baseline year is calculated for this metric using the percentage point change formula:
RY = Reporting Year BY = Baseline Year
REFERENCES
Continuous Monitoring: Use of continuous monitoring devices throughout the portfolio to actively monitor indoor air quality by ongoing measurement of indoor air parameters such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), VOCs, and Particulate Matter (PM).
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)Monitors: Devices installed within occupied spaces in the portfolio that are building grade or better.
Indoor Environmental Quality Assessments: Assessments such as the EPA’s IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (IBEAM) that are conducted on a 12-month basis that assess the assets in the portfolio for issues related to indoor air quality and occupant health.
Occupied Space: Enclosed space intended for human activities, excluding those spaces that are intended primarily for other purposes, such as storage rooms and equipment rooms, and that are only occupied occasionally and for short periods of time.
Unoccupied Space: An area designed for equipment, machinery, or storage rather than for human activities. An equipment area is considered unoccupied only if retrieval of equipment is occasional.
To support proactive management of occupant health, comfort and productivity.
Indoor Air Quality Testing
Utilization of devices and methods throughout the portfolio to measure Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) by spot-testing pollutants and quality metrics (e.g., carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, etc.).
Number or percentage of properties with indoor air quality testing.
Performance Approach A (absolute performance): Verification of the number or percentage of properties where one-time indoor air quality testing was completed across the defined portfolio for the reporting year.
Performance Approach B (performance change): Verification of the change from a baseline year in the percentage of properties where one-time indoor air quality testing was completed across the defined portfolio.
Provide the total number of properties within the portfolio where one-time indoor air quality testing was completed during the reporting year (Performance approach A) and reporting year and baseline year (Performance approach B).
Describe the method, standard, tool or framework used to develop and implement indoor air quality testing across the portfolio.
Testing must be completed for at least one of the following parameters during the 12-month reporting period. Include a concurrent measurement of outdoor ambient air quality within the property boundary for reference comparison.
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Particulate matter (PM)
Ozone (O3)
Total volatile organic compounds (T)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Targeted VOCs (e.g., formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, etc.)
Portfolio-Level Documentation:
Methodology: Provide documentation describing the portfolio-level procedures the organization took to implement indoor air quality testing across its portfolio, including:
Tools, standards or frameworks used to guide the indoor air quality testing process.
Description of the action plan and tracking system to utilize testing results and assessment data that includes thresholds for pollutants tested defined as acceptable, the standard being used to define acceptable levels and actions taken to address issues discovered through testing results or yearly assessments.
Teams responsible for managing the implementation of indoor air quality testing, analyzing data and communicating results.
Property-Level Documentation:
Property-Level Data: Indicate the properties for which one-time indoor air quality testing was completed for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and reporting year and baseline year (Performance Approach B) in the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form provided. Alternative documentation (such as spreadsheets prepared for other reporting entities or internal tracking sheets, etc.) may be provided if it includes the same information as the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form.
Property-Level Sample Documents: Provide the following documents for a sample of SQRT(n) properties, where ‘n’ is the total number of properties in the portfolio. A list of properties selected for sampling will be provided during the portfolio creation process via the Multiple Property Upload Template.
IAQ testing reports from the property indicating the aspects and contaminants monitored, their associated threshold levels test methods/equipment used or laboratory credentials, if used.
Reports on any issues identified and actions taken to address the issues.
Alternative documentation showing compliance with any equivalent LEED credits or WELL features through certification scorecards may be provided in lieu of property-level documentation.
Percentage of Properties:
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of properties where one-time indoor air quality testing was completed by the total number of properties in the portfolio. This is multiplied by 100 to convert to a percentage.
N = Number of properties where one-time indoor air quality testing was completed T = Total number of properties in the portfolio
Performance Change:
Performance change between the reporting year and a baseline year is calculated for this metric using the percentage point change formula:
RY = Reporting Year BY = Baseline Year
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model
U.S. Green Building Council: LEED O+M v4.1 Indoor Environmental Quality Performance
Air Quality Testing: Utilization of testing devices and methods throughout the portfolio to measure Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) by spot-testing indoor pollutants such as carbon monoxide and particulates.
Indoor Environmental Quality Assessments: Assessments such as the U.S. EPA’s IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (IBEAM) that are conducted on a 12-month basis that assess the assets in the portfolio for issues related to indoor air quality and occupant health.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing Methods: Any test method capable of measuring the required indoor air parameters.
To promote and further social equity by addressing the needs and disparities among those working to operate and maintain the properties in the portfolio by supporting safety and personal well-being and encouraging transparency through planning and training.
Worker Health and Safety Plan
Plan outlining policies and procedures to protect workers on-site operating and maintaining properties in the portfolio from accidents, injuries and health risks to create a safe and healthy working environment.
Number or percentage of properties where a Worker Health and Safety Plan has been implemented.
Performance Approach A (absolute performance): Verification of the number or percentage of properties where a Worker Health and Safety plan was implemented across the portfolio for the reporting year.
Performance Approach B (performance change): Verification of the change from a baseline year in the percentage of properties where a Worker Health and Safety plan was implemented across the defined portfolio.
Provide the total number of properties within the portfolio where a Worker Health and Safety Plan was implemented, or was already in place, during the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and reporting year and baseline year (Performance Approach B).
Describe the method, standard or framework used to develop and implement the Worker Health and Safety Plan.
The Worker Health and Safety Plan should include:
Worker health and safety policy or policies equitable across all workers responsible for operating and maintaining properties within the portfolio that includes elements such as leadership commitment, whistleblower/complaints submission process, process for remediating health and safety risks, applicability to all workers regardless of gender, race, ability, or standing.
Objectives and targets.
Worker and stakeholder mechanism for input:
Identify all worker stakeholder groups within the organization/portfolio. Consider all underrepresented groups based on gender, race, ability, etc. as well as worker standing within the organization (employment level).
Consider input from external stakeholders that either work for the properties in the portfolio or have a direct impact in the operations, such as contractors, and sub-contractors.
Incident and report inspection and analysis process.
Safety committee which includes leadership team, workers of various levels, and workers from traditionally underrepresented groups.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track Worker Health and Safety and overall plan performance. Examples of indicators include, but are not limited to:
Leading Indicators: Number of safety suggestions submitted by workers, percent of safety suggestions submitted by management level, number of safety suggestions evaluated, number of safety suggestions implemented, number of locations with safety committees, percent of all operational sites for which an employee H&S risk assessment has been conducted, percent of the total workforce across all locations represented in formal joint management/worker H&S committees, costs associated with evaluating identified hazards for remediation, costs associated with implementing hazard remediation improvements.
Lagging Indicators: Injury rate (IR), percent of injury rates within a certain race/gender/identity), Lost day rate (LDR) or Accident Severity Rate (ASR), Absentee Rate (AR), work-related fatalities, Lost Time Injury (LTI) frequency, number of days lost to work-related injuries, fatalities, and ill health, number of work-related accidents, costs associated with lost time incidents, costs associated with lost day rate.
The worker health and safety plan should be acknowledged and signed by all workers upon engagement with the properties in the portfolio and for major safety plan revisions. A record of acknowledgment should be kept ensuring all workers maintain awareness of the most recent worker safety plan. Comprehensive training on the plan and/or safety training related to the service worker role should also be provided.
Portfolio-Level Documentation:
Methodology: Provide a narrative or any documentation describing the portfolio level procedures the organization took to implement the worker health and safety plan across its portfolio. Include:
Tools, standards or frameworks that were used to guide the worker health and safety plan creation process.
How the worker health and safety plan is communicated and is made available to all workers.
Individual(s) responsible for implementing this action across the portfolio, a list of names, and locations assigned to the action, and process for implementation and on-going support.
Template Worker Health and Safety Plan: If applicable, provide a copy of standardized health and safety plan used across portfolio and examples of variations and localized versions.
Property-Level Documentation:
Property-Level Data: Indicate the properties for which a Worker Health and Safety Plan was implemented, or was already in place, for the reporting year (Performance Approach A) and for reporting year and baseline year (Performance Approach B), in the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form provided. Alternative documentation, such as spreadsheets prepared for other reporting entities or internal tracking sheets, may be provided if it includes the same information as the PERFORM Property-Level Data Form.
Property-Level Sample Documents: Provide the following documents for a sample of SQRT(n) properties, where ‘n’ is the total number of properties in the portfolio. A list of properties selected for sampling will be provided during the portfolio creation process via the Multiple Property Upload Template.
Property specific worker health and safety plan.
Evidence demonstrating Worker Health and Safety Plan implementation such as:
Record of worker acknowledgement.
Training materials on health & safety risk and good working practices.
Certificates of completion/progress reports/HR reports on training completion or from Safety Committee records.
Key Performance Indicators tracked at the property.
Third party assurance or audit reports, final disclosures reported to regulatory body or voluntary standards body.
Incident analysis results.
Description of hazards or risk factors identified as potential to cause harm and significance of risk.
Alternative documentation showing compliance with any equivalent LEED credits through certification scorecards may be provided in lieu of property-level documentation.
Percentage of Properties:
The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of properties with a worker health and safety plan by the total number of properties in the defined portfolio. This is multiplied by 100 to convert to a percentage.
N = Number of properties with a worker health and safety plan T = Total number of properties in the portfolio
Performance Change:
Performance change between the reporting year and a baseline year is calculated for this metric using the percentage point change formula:
RY = Reporting Year BY = Baseline Year
Global Reporting Initiative: Sustainability Reporting Standards (2016): GRI, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307; GRI, 416
Health and Safety (H&S) Risk Assessment: Process used to identify potential hazards and analyze what could happen if a disaster or hazard occurs in relation to human health and safety.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Parameters or metrics used to track and evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the Worker Health and Safety Plan.
Worker Health and Safety Plan: Plan outlining the policies and procedures to protect workers on-site operating and maintaining properties in the portfolio from accidents, injuries, and health risks to create a safe and healthy working environment.
Air Feature 01 Air Quality