Why we need move toward ‘air hygiene ratings’, and what needs to happen
Despite clean air being critical to health, wellbeing and productivity, and having come out the other side of a pandemic, indoor air quality (IAQ) often remains an overlooked matter. We have food hygiene ratings - why not air? David Millward of Elta Fans has a suggestion to make.
In public-use buildings, many building services need to be rated, monitored, and audited to comply with various regulations, all to ensure good building performance and occupant safety. However, indoor air quality, isn’t one of those factors.
From fire protection to energy efficiency, through to occupant access, food hygiene and water safety, there are numerous areas within a building that need constant and regular auditing to ensure the building services are performing as required.
Despite clean air being critical to health, wellbeing and productivity, and having come out the other side of a pandemic, indoor air quality (IAQ) often remains an overlooked matter. Arguably, it is only in recent years that air quality is being given the attention it deserves, largely down to COVID-19.
For building managers and those who have a stake in building design and construction, clearly, there must be a continual focus on IAQ to avoid re-treading the same path. The monitoring and regulation of good IAQ should be a key focus for protecting the health and well-being of occupants. Indeed, as recently as February, Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, said monitoring indoor air quality should become standard practice in public spaces (The Guardian).
For these reasons, much like how restaurants and takeaways have food hygiene ratings, Elta Group advocates that public-use buildings should follow suite and have ‘air hygiene ratings’.
Why ‘air hygiene ratings’ are needed
One of the key reasons why IAQ is often neglected is possibly down to air being something that is relatively intangible. Unlike food hygiene or fire safety, which can be seen, tested and dealt with, good (or bad) air quality has typically been a subjective matter.
More and more evidence is becoming available that people are recognising the effects of air quality and how it impacts them in their day-to-day lives.
Addressing concerns over the effects of bad indoor air quality within the workplace, 2,000 hybrid working employees were surveyed by market researchers Onepoll . 53 per cent of those asked said they were worried that poor ventilation and air quality would impact their general health and increase the risk of them catching a cold or flu. Meanwhile, poor IAQ has been linked to conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as increasing the risk of heart disease.
As well as this, studies have shown that air quality has a considerable impact on cognitive function. Another study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that raised concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and lower ventilation rates (measured using carbon dioxide (CO2) levels as a proxy) were associated with slower response times and reduced accuracy on a series of cognitive tests3.
With the average person spending around 90% of their time indoors, monitoring is highly recommended, and people should have the right to know about the quality of air they are breathing in.
Updates to regulations
For building services engineers, there is now more regulatory support available to guide them in their decisions when assessing air quality and ventilation. Casting back to June 2022, building regulations received one of their biggest overhauls in many years, with Approved Document F, which governs ventilation and air quality standards, substantially updated.
Among the wave of alterations, the changes to IAQ monitoring expectations are arguably the most prominent, demonstrating a greater development in the air quality conversation. To paraphrase from the document, under point 1.21, it states:
“In new buildings, the following types of occupiable room, unless they are rooms of the size described in paragraph 1.22, should have a means of monitoring the indoor air quality. This may be achieved using CO2 monitors or other means of measuring indoor air quality.”
The new requirements cover habitable spaces where large volumes of CO2 could be expelled or inhaled – offices, gyms, or rooms with low temperatures or humidity levels to name a few. Certain rooms may not be applicable due to their size, such as those under 50m² and over 320m² in floor area. With such regulations in place, there must now be provision to monitor air quality within new builds.
Going beyond this, building management stakeholders need to consider introducing air monitoring measures wherever possible to improve the wellbeing and comfort of occupants. This means not only extending the provisions to rooms not covered by the building regulation updates due to their size but considering existing properties alongside new builds.
Long term gains from better air hygiene
Instead of seeing the application of air quality monitoring as an additional layer of complication and unwelcome cost, it is important to recognise the advantages that it offers for all parties. The first and foremost of these is the improved health and wellbeing of occupants within the property. By successfully measuring IAQ, an appropriate ventilation strategy can be actioned to circulate fresh air and remove bad pathogens, working to reduce sickness and improve comfort.
Looking at it through a commercial perspective, having such data from IAQ monitoring can ensure more efficient ventilation solutions can be designed and installed. In turn, this can reduce the energy consumption and carbon output of the building and improve its overall sustainability rating. Consistent monitoring can also be used to align with internationally recognised certifications like RESET®. Using IAQ and having an air hygiene rating to benchmark a facility’s performance creates a marketable advantage that can lead to attracting more tenants or people to use your space.
What makes an efficient IAQ monitor
When it comes to using an air quality monitor, as mentioned previously, there are key factors that should be considered to ensure the technology is performing efficiently. For instance, as set out in updated Part F of the building regulations, placement is paramount as they must be at breathing height to guarantee correct readings are gathered.
Likewise, it is important to recognise that an IAQ monitor’s key function is to measure the volume of CO2 in the air. However, CO2 is just one of many contaminants that can harm occupant health and productivity. PM1 and PM2.5, for example, can suspend in the air in the form of dust, dirt, aerosols and bacteria.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and naturally occurring gases, such as Radon, can also present risks of long- and short-term health effects, from eye and nose irritation through to lung cancer. In certain cases, where buildings reside in Radon affected areas, a bond agreement and testing must be carried out before the property can be sold. Using an IAQ monitor that can detect such VOCs and notify building controls could potentially mitigate this process.
With this in mind, Elta Group has partnered with air quality monitoring specialist Airthings to offer a device able to detect all of the contaminants above while measuring additional IAQ factors, such as temperature, humidity, light, noise and pressure. All data is presented on a highly informative dashboard as the system behind the monitors is often what determines whether collated data can be used or not. It’s best to seek systems that provide strong analytics to ensure information can be read and conclusions drawn, alongside monitors that alert users to irregular air quality for added safety.
Creating a movement toward air hygiene ratings
The addition of efficient IAQ sensor technology within buildings, new build and retrofit, is the stepping-stone to demonstrating change. However, having good sensor technology, detecting bad IAQ and recognising its effects is just the start – results need to be acted on.
We are committed to supporting the development of the air quality conversation and can assist in the design of regulation compliant air quality monitoring solutions to help building services
