The Music Center Becomes First Performing Arts Center To Obtain UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark For Indoor Air Quality

The Music Center announced it has become the first performing arts organization to earn the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark for Indoor Air Quality. The Music Center recently underwent an extensive process to earn the verification, demonstrating that each of its four venues-Walt Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre-as well as Grand Park's administrative office and The Music Center Annex, has excellent indoor air quality (IAQ).

To achieve the prestigious UL Verification Mark, The Music Center participated in numerous on-site visits, which included UL visual inspections as well as IAQ performance testing and assessment, and upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The Music Center will participate in UL's surveillance review process twice a year to ensure The Music Center's buildings exceed rigorous IAQ performance criteria.

The verification is part of The Music Center's safety assessment and preparation strategy as it looks forward to resuming outdoor and, eventually, indoor live events and performances on its campus, pending the lifting of COVID-related public health directives. Since closing its campus more than a year ago, The Music Center has worked behind-the-scenes to implement new practices designed to enhance safety and minimize risk for guests, artists and staff when returning to the campus. All of The Music Center's new measures, protocols and procedures are based on directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health and other information made available to live entertainment venues.

"The Music Center takes our responsibility as a civic anchor institution very seriously and is committed to giving audiences not only the best, but also the safest experience possible. After 57 years and tens of thousands of performances, The Music Center has extensive experience as 'people movers,' coordinating logistics and crowd control, and, now, has enhanced its commitment to environmental safety," said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO, The Music Center. "The Music Center has conferred with health and safety experts to implement multiple measures, from investing in indoor air quality to enhancing cleaning procedures and creating touchless environments. While we assess our indoor air quality annually, the steps we have taken now underscore the priority we place on the wellbeing of all who visit and work at The Music Center, from the time they enter the parking garages to the time they return home."

"The Music Center is very proud of achieving this UL milestone, and we have plans in place for continual advancement of IAQ. Because air flow and circulation are critical to creating a safe environment, we upgraded all our filters throughout the campus' HVAC systems, rebalanced the mix of recirculated and fresh air and maximized recirculation times for the air coming through the complex," added Howard Sherman, executive vice president and chief operating officer, The Music Center. "Audiences already know they can trust us for presenting world-class performances, so it was important that we also give them peace of mind when they visit and enter our buildings. The health and safety of our patrons, artists and employees will always be our first priority."

Backed by more than a century of safety work based on science, data and evidence, UL's Verified Healthy Building Program was developed over the past year to address the urgent response necessary to stop COVID transmission. The UL Verified Healthy Buildings program utilizes testing methods that verify indoor air quality and are aligned with industry-recognized, third-party organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHREA), among others.

In addition to the UL verification, The Music Center also worked with the County of Los Angeles to address both current needs and future planning to maintain high standards of security, sanitation and safety. While monitoring new public health innovations, The Music Center will continually update campus procedures for both outdoor and indoor events and performances as they pertain to entry areas, lobbies, restrooms, seating areas, box office, stage and backstage, food and beverage preparation and the administrative offices for The Music Center organization and its resident companies, Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Other actions The Music Center is taking include:

• Creating the new staff position of Director of Security and Safety and certifying key Music Center employees through the CAL/OSHA COVID-19 Training program;

• Developing an Enhanced Cleaning Program designed specifically for The Music Center with its housekeeping partner, ABM, that will use a suite of medical grade disinfection tools and new schedules to ensure expedient cleaning of the entire campus;

• Creating contactless environments and procedures that minimize surface contact and eliminate unnecessary touches, such as touchless restroom flush valves and faucets;

• Installation of wall and hand sanitizer dispensers;

• Installation of signage enforcing social distancing and mask wearing guidelines; and
• Installation of signage directing public entrance and exit guidelines.

More details about the safety protocols embraced by The Music Center and what guests will do once they return to the campus will be released in the near future. Information is available now at musiccenter.org/safety.

To post a comment, you must register and login.