Ventilation requirements for offices

Whether it is from breathing or particulate matter, or emissions from a printer running at full speed, the air quality in an office is constantly impacted. This makes ventilation a necessary prerequisite to having a healthy working environment. This replaces polluted air with clean air. Ventilation is more than just opening a window. To ensure that there is adequate ventilation, the ventilation requirements are laid down in the Building Regulations.

Different rules apply for a factory building where metal is being processed than for, say, a showroom. The average level of contamination determines the ventilation requirements in the Building Regulations. Under the Building Regulations version 2012, an office space must be ventilated at a minimum rate of 6.5 L/s , or 23.4 m³/h. This is regardless of what kind of work takes place in the office. A meeting room, or conference room, only needs to be ventilated at 4 L/s, or 14.4 m³/h. These values are per person and do not depend on the size of the room.

These ventilation rules are the minimum requirement an office area must meet. However, it is a good idea to also consider the ventilation rate.

The ventilation rate of a room indicates how many times per hour the air in the room is replaced by fresh air. The ventilation rate is therefore a way of measuring the ventilation. In a space where many people congregate, such as an office, it is necessary to change the air regularly. And additional ventilation is needed when you want to cool or heat a room through the air flow. A high ventilation rate is desirable in this case.

For example, the ventilation rate for a room with a volume of 260 m³ is 1. For a room of 520 m³, the ventilation rate is 2. This means that the air in the room is replaced with fresh air twice per hour. So to work out what exactly you need in terms of ventilation, you first need to calculate the ventilation rate.

You need to have the relevant expertise to calculate the ventilation rate. Interduct would be happy to help you do this. If you tell us the number of people per room, we will make sure that each room is assigned the correct ventilation rate.

Good climate control in an office is important for a healthy working environment. A Programme of Requirements for Healthy Offices has therefore recently been created. This programme offers a helping hand to companies looking to make their offices healthier and enhance performance. This programme explains the requirements for indoor air quality, among other things, in different classes. For example, Class A ventilation is achieved when 60 m³/h per person of fresh air is supplied (with normal office CO2 values of up to 0.0005 L/s).

To correctly apply the ventilation requirements in practice, you need some technical knowledge. You should also know about the different options offered by ventilation technology. For example, do you know the added value of mechanical ventilation? And how exactly do control dampers, exhaust valves and wall grilles affect air quality? Ventilation is a profession and one that requires the appropriate expertise.

Want to be sure you have the correct ventilation in your office? Contact us and we will work out the best solution together. Interduct is happy to help you with customised ventilation advice.