FOCUS CIBSE STANDARDS
and tentative’, and design and maintenance
teams should remain informed of indoor air
quality standards and regulations that are
likely to be developed in the future. Ultimately
good IAQ will depend on a good ventilation
strategy supported by monitoring cleaning and
maintenance.
Poor maintenance issues that can lead to IAQ
issues highlighted in TM40 include:
Badly maintained combustion equipment,
such as boilers, which can lead to carbon
monoxide poisoning
Filters not being changed
Unclean ductwork which could introduce
pollutants and smells into a space
Poorly drained condensate spans in airhandling
units and fan coil units, creating
the conditions for microbial growth
CIBSE Guide M provides details on scheduling
of inspections and maintenance activities for
all types of environment.
According to TM40, various measures can
be explored to improve IAQ. These include
reducing pollutants at source to reduce
occupants’ exposure to them. In mechanically
ventilated buildings, for example, one solution
might be to install air filters, while on naturally
ventilated buildings operators should consider
reviewing the feasibility of ventilating through
openings on less exposed façades.
Flushing the building, or the a ected rooms,
should help dissipate emissions if high VOC
levels are identified in a building in the early
stages of occupancy a er construction,
refurbishment, fit-out or installation of
new furniture. CIBSE suggests that flushing
could be repeated for the first few months of
occupation, particularly if formaldehyde levels
are found to be high.
Likewise, if high VOCs are identified in a
‘settled’ building, TM40 suggests this could be
due to occupants’ products and equipment,
or the use of cleaning products emitting high
levels of VOCs. TM40 proposes that occupants
should switch to low-emitting cleaning
products, and that consideration should be
given to cleaning at night rather than in the
morning just before the o ice is occupied.
Similarly, polluting equipment such as printers
should be relocated, ideally to unoccupied
areas with adequate ventilation.
Once sources of pollution have been
reduced or controlled as much as possible,
the provision of adequate ventilation should
be checked. According to TM40, this should
include “checking the operation of existing
ventilation systems, the ventilation rates
being delivered and controls in relation to
38 NOVEMBER 2019
Currently there are several voluntary schemes
which require indoor air quality to be tested. These
include Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method (BREEAM), LEED and WELL.”
occupancy patterns; systems should be
recommissioned and remediation measures
carried out if needed”.
Currently there are several voluntary
schemes which require indoor air quality to
be tested. These include Building Research
Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method (BREEAM), LEED and WELL, all of
which set a VOC limit of 500g/m, while
both the existing and new dra Approved
Document F recommend 300g/m. In
addition, WELL requires VOC considerations
to continue a er the fit-out is complete; it
requires constant monitoring and testing
of IAQ.
WELL CERTIFICATION
When engineering consultancy Cundall
moved its London o ice, it used the
opportunity to trial WELL certification on
its new workspace. In fact, Cundall’s new
o ice was the first in Europe to gain WELL
Certification, achieving Gold.
As part of the WELL certification process,
Cundall focused attention on IAQ, including
the specification of low-emission materials
and finishes. Despite this, one early IAQ test
showed VOC levels at almost three times
those allowed by WELL. A er investigation,
it was found that levels were high because
the building had been cleaned the night
before using products with a high VOC
content. The findings serve to highlight the
need to consider whole building operations
to achieve indoor air quality, including
regular testing and monitoring.
Cundall has since been monitoring
the impact of the WELL measures on its
workforce. The findings are impressive:
according to the organisation it has seen a
50 per cent drop in absenteeism compared
to the year before the move, and a 27 per
cent reduction in sta turnover.
The evidence from Cundall suggests that
a healthy workplace is an environment in
which people can thrive. While a healthy
workplace is not necessarily a productive
workplace, to be productive o ice workers
need to be and feel well.
Designing the workplace to support
people’s wellbeing makes business
sense, as even a modest improvement
in employee wellness will have positive
financial implications for a business.
Research demonstrates that cognitive
performance scores of participants who
work in improved indoor environments with
low levels of volatile organic compounds
and higher ventilation rates are, on average,
double those of participants who work in
conventional environments.
For more information please visit the CIBSE
website www.CIBSE.org
/www.CIBSE.org
