Health Risks
Minimise the risk of hazardous materials
- use of specialist contractors for the safe removal of asbestos in refurbishment projects (8 - section 4.7, 10, 7)
- use of specialist contractors for the safe removal of man-made mineral fibres (MMMF) in refurbishment projects (8 - section 4.7, 5)
Avoid the creation of magnetic fields
- equipment located well away from high current sources (9 - page 8)
- appropriate configuration of low-voltage power cables (closely spaced live and neutral conductors, transposed 3-phase conductors) (9 - page 8)
- neutral earth faults avoided (9 - page 8)
- good balancing of 3-phase supplies (9 - page 8)
- low levels of harmonics on supplies (9 - page 8)
- shielding of equipment or architectural shielding provided (9 - page 8)
Consider the locations of inlets so as to minimise the levels of pollution from external sources, such as traffic exhausts
- separate exhausts grouped into a single cluster and place inlet at the base of the exhaust stack to create a greater plume rise (3 - section 3.1)
- inlets on the roof to ensure greater system stability and minimise changes in flow capacity. (3 - section 3.1)
- exhaust outlets not located within enclosures or architectural screens because they hold the contaminants within areas of flow recirculation (3 - section 3.1)
- exhausts designed so that they discharge vertically. Use an uncapped exhaust with the provision of stack drains as a more effective solution (3 - section 3.1)
- wall exhausts located on the upper one-third of the building facade. If intakes are on the same façade place them on the lower one-third (3 - section 3.1)
- air intakes positioned at least 10m away from air outlets (1 - credit HW9)
- air intakes or openable windows positioned at least 20m away from sources of external pollution, such as roads, car parks etc (1 - credit HW9)
Provide adequate levels of ventilation for good internal air quality
- controllable ventilation slit for background ventilation, planned ventilation for bathroom and kitchen (ventilation fans) and openable windows for occasional high ventilation rates in summer (Buildings Regulations recommend 12 L/s per person) (8 - section 4.15)
- ventilation rates of at least 5 or 8 L/s per person unless specific contaminants are expected (HSE). Rates of up to 20 L/s per person can be beneficial (8 - section 4.15)
- two stage filtration in urban areas, using a F5 or better prefilter followed by a F7 or finer filter (8 - section 4.15)
Avoid the use of hazardous materials
- use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) reduced by specifying materials with low solvent content (6, 12 - credit HW13)
- Schools: levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) not exceeding 300 µg/m3 averaged over eight hours (2 - section 3.1)
- insulation does not contain fibrous materials comprised of man-made mineral fibres (MMMF) (8 - section 4.7, 5)
- no specification of materials that include asbestos (8 - section 4.7, 10, 7)
Ensure water services are designed to avoid the risk of legionellosis
- compliance with HSE ACOP L8 for legionellosis, as well as CIBSE TM13 (8 - section 6.5)
- compliance with HSE ACOP L8 for legionellosis (11)
- compliance with CIBSE TM13 for legionellosis (4)
Reference Documents
| Series Number | Publisher | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRE | BREEAM 2006 | |
| 2 | BB101 | DFES | Ventilation of school buildings: Regulations standards design guidance |
| 3 | TM21 | CIBSE | Minimising pollution at air intakes |
| 4 | TM13 | CIBSE | Minimising the risk of Legionnaires' disease |
| 5 | EH46 | HSE | Man-made mineral fibres (revised) (1990) |
| 6 | Digest 464 | BRE | VOC Emissions from Building Products |
| 7 | HSE | Managing asbestos - your new legal duties | |
| 8 | TM40 | CIBSE | Health Risks in Buildings |
| 9 | IP 2/97 | BRE | Magnetic fields and building services |
| 10 | 2003/1889 | SI | Asbestos (prohibitions) (amendment) regulations 2003 |
| 11 | L8 | HSE | Legionnaire’s disease: The control of legionella bacteria in water systems |
| 12 | 2006 | BRE | BREEAM for Schools |