(6 points available)
Aim
To encourage and support healthy internal environments with good indoor air quality.
Question
Are there management processes in place to help maintain good levels of indoor air quality within the asset?
Credits | Answer | Select all answers that apply |
0 | A | Question not answered |
0 | B | No |
1 | C | Yes, provision of information or training to asset users on how to operate and manage the asset’s ventilation systems |
1 | D | Yes, procedures and plans for cleaning the interior of the asset |
1 | E | Yes, procedures and plans for inspecting the cleanliness of and for cleaning ventilation system components |
1 | F | Yes, procurement policies and operation and maintenance procedures specify products that have low or no emissions of pollutants to air |
1 | G | Yes, procedures and plans for regularly monitoring indoor air quality in occupied spaces |
1 | H | Yes, procedures or plans that minimise the impacts on the asset’s indoor air quality during maintenance, redecoration, refurbishment or construction activities on the asset |
Assessment criteria
Criterion | Assessment criteria | Applicable answer |
1 |
Information provided for general asset users must:
Information and training provided for asset management staff and relevant contractors must:
|
C |
2 |
Cleaning procedures and plans include the following:
|
D |
3 |
Inspection and cleaning procedures and plans include the following where present:
Inspection and cleaning frequencies should be in accordance with the following standards:
Alternatively, where local standards have similar requirements to either of the above standards, the local standard may be used to demonstrate compliance with this criterion. |
E |
4 |
Products that should be covered by policies and procedures include, but are not limited to:
As a minimum, policies and procedures must cover emissions of very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs), including formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The policies and procedures should stipulate appropriate selection criteria for low or no emission products, e.g. reference to specific local standards, testing protocols or product labelling initiatives (see Methodology). |
F |
5 |
Procedures and plans for monitoring indoor air quality shall incorporate and document the following measures conducted at least annually:
The procedures and plans must also include:
|
G |
6 |
Procedures and plans covering maintenance, redecoration, refurbishment or construction activities should include, but are not limited to, the following measures where appropriate:
|
H |
7 | All policies, procedures and plans must be reviewed at least annually or sooner in the event of significant changes to the number of asset users, changes in working practices or a change in use of space. | C-H |
Methodology
Low or no emission products
There are a wide range of local and international standards, testing protocols and labelling initiatives for low emission products. The uptake of such initiatives, and therefore the availability of low or no emission products on the market, will vary between countries. Therefore, policies and procedures should reference local or international product initiatives that are active in the asset’s location. Examples of such initiatives include but are not limited to:
- Ausschuss zur gesundheitlichen Bewertung von Bauprodukten (AgBB) evaluation scheme
- Green Label PlusTM
- GUT Label
- Belgian VOC regulation
- Blue Angel Ecolabel
- eco-INSTITUT-Label
- EMICODE
- EU Ecolabel
- FloorScore®
- French VOC regulation
- GREENGUARD Certified/GREENGUARD Gold
- Indoor Air Comfort®/Indoor Air Comfort Gold®
- Indoor AdvantageTM Gold - Building Materials
- M1 Emission Classification of Building Materials
- Nordic Swan Ecolabe
Indoor air quality management procedures and plans
The indoor air quality within an asset and the associated management requirements to maintain a good level of indoor air quality will depend on various factors, including:
- The asset’s location, size, layout and form
- The type and usage of the asset
- External air quality
- Internal sources of pollutants
- The asset’s ventilation strategy
- The requirements of asset users, owners or managers.
The content and detail of indoor air quality management related procedures and plans will therefore need to be specific to the asset under assessment. For example, the procedures and plans for a small, naturally ventilated office asset located in an area of good external air quality with few sources of internal pollutants may be relatively simple, whereas other assets will require more complex procedures and plans. Procedures and plans must cover all areas of the asset within the scope of the assessment, i.e. those areas that are under the control of the asset management organisation.
Evidence
Criteria | Evidence requirement |
- | The evidence below is not exhaustive, please also refer to the ‘BREEAM evidential requirements’ section in the scope of the Guidance for appropriate evidence types which can be used to demonstrate compliance |
All | Copies of relevant policies, procedures and plans and associated records. |
Additional information
Guidance on indoor air quality during maintenance, redecoration, refurbishment or construction
The Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) guidance ‘IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction’ provides guidance on minimising the impact of maintenance, redecoration, refurbishment or construction activities on indoor air quality in operational buildings. Projects may wish to reference the SMACNA guidance when demonstrating compliance with criterion 6.
© Copyright Building Research Establishment Ltd 2021
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