1.1 Facilities That Must Be Measured For Radon

The following buildings are required by Florida statute to be measured for radon or radon progeny using these procedures and protocols.

• All public and private school buildings or school sites housing students in kindergarten through grade 12.
• All state-owned, state-operated, state-regulated or state-licensed 24-hour care facilities. This shall include but not be limited to the following: hospitals, nursing homes, foster homes, assisted living facilities, mental institutions, nursery facilities providing 24-hour care, detention centers, correctional institutions, and pre-release centers.
• All state-licensed day care centers for children or minors.

Before measuring, first determine if each building of your facility is a residential dwelling unit or a non-residential, commercial building. Residential dwellings are to be measured using the methods specified in section 2, Measuring Houses and Other Residential Facilities. Non-residential or commercial buildings are to be measured using the methods in section 3, Measuring Non-Residential Facilities.

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1.2 Exclusions

Portable classrooms or other small buildings, which meet all of the following criteria, may be excluded:

• the building’s floor area is less than 2,000 square feet,
• the crawlspace is open and unobstructed on all sides of the building,
• there is a minimum clearance of 6 inches between the floor joists and grade,
• supporting pillars are of solid construction or have barriers to prevent the transport of radon through any hollow cavities, and
• there is no usable HVAC duct, HVAC duct penetration or fresh air intake in the crawlspace.

Are You Required To Test Your Facility For Radon?

Some 24 hour care facilities, state licensed day care centers and schools k-12 are required to test for radon according to Florida Statute 404.056. Previously the radon testing was required statewide. Currently, only facilities in certain counties are required to test for radon.

There are two different lists depending on the construction of the building. Buildings built as a single family home or duplex and that still meet that building code standard have one county list. All other types of buildings have another county list. Look for your county in the list below or check the linked maps. If your facility is not in one of the counties listed below, your facility is currently exempt from mandatory radon testing.

 

 (4)" MANDATORY TESTING.--All public and private school buildings or school sites housing students in kindergarten through grade 12; all state-owned, state-operated, state-regulated, or state-licensed 24-hour care facilities; and all state-licensed day care centers for children or minors which are located in counties designated within the Department of Community Affairs' Florida Radon Protection Map Categories as "Intermediate" or "Elevated Radon Potential" shall be measured to determine the level of indoor radon, using measurement procedures established by the department. Testing shall be completed within the first year of construction in 20 percent of the habitable first floor spaces within any of the regulated buildings. Initial measurements shall be completed and reported to the department by July 1 of the year the building is opened for occupancy. Follow up testing must be completed in 5 percent of the habitable first floor spaces within any of the regulated buildings after the building has been occupied for 5 years, and results must be reported to the department by July 1 of the 5th year of occupancy. After radon measurements have been made twice, regulated buildings need not undergo further testing unless significant structural changes occur. No funds collected pursuant to s. 553.721 shall be used to carry out the provisions of this subsection. "