Published: 16/02/2022
Ahead of New Building Regulations on Ventilation coming into force this summer and the Government’s wider COVID-19 and Net Zero Strategy, BEAMA has today launched its updated 2022 Ventilation White Paper. The dossier sets out a 4-step policy pathway for the future to deliver effective ventilation and improved indoor air quality inside UK homes in order to help protect health and wellbeing. Vent-Axia fully supports BEAMA’s Ventilation White Paper since the company is committed to improving indoor air quality through ventilation to protect public health.
To avoid the serious risk of creating a major public health burden by sealing pollutants and viruses in our homes, the White Paper makes it clear that we must adopt a ‘Ventilate when you Insulate’ approach, ensuring that energy efficiency and ventilation improvements go hand-in-hand, and poor-quality installations of ventilation systems and poor compliance are rooted out.
The document covers the impacts of poor indoor air quality, the positive effect of ventilation on health, and the challenges we face, before outlining 4 policy solutions to take the country forward:
1.Set higher ventilation standards for new builds to protect health and wellbeing
2.Ensure energy efficiency retrofits are accompanied by ventilation measures to protect health and wellbeing
3.Drive ventilation compliance standards
4.Treat poor IAQ and poor ventilation as a public health emergency and, in addition to public education campaigns on the risks and solutions, make sure it is enshrined in all relevant policy areas
The timely update from trade association BEAMA comes amidst a seminal moment for the built environment in the UK, with the country navigating its way out of the pandemic, the introduction of new Building Regulations for energy conservation and ventilation and the Government driving its long-term Net Zero Strategy. The push towards energy efficiency has led to increasing air tightness but this has not been matched by ventilation improvements, resulting in the increased risk of poor indoor air quality compromising the health and wellbeing of occupants.
The Paper acknowledges that whilst the UK Government has shown good intentions, such as its commitment in the Heat and Buildings Strategy to take decisive, ‘no-regrets’ action now on improving ventilation and mitigating the risks of poor indoor air quality, a concrete plan must be delivered in practice.
Colin Timmins, Director of the BEAMA Ventilation Group, hopes the updated White Paper will serve as a wake-up call to Government: “Our message to policymakers is simple: a ‘Ventilate when you Insulate’ approach must be adopted, and poor-quality installations and compliance must be tackled, to ensure indoor air quality and health are safeguarded. By adopting and implementing the 4 policy solutions set out in this White Paper, the Government can achieve this and deliver healthy homes that are fit for the future.”
Richard Paine, Product and Marketing Director at Vent-Axia said: ‘Since 1936 Vent-Axia has been committed to protecting public by improving indoor air quality through ventilation. We therefore fully support the BEAMA 2022 Ventilation White Paper. Following Kyoto, the UK has been striving to reduce its carbon emissions. Unfortunately, indoor air quality has taken a back seat. However, over the last 5 years we have all witnessed the real consequences of sealing up homes and insulating them to make them more energy efficient. It has resulted in indoor air pollution. We now hope to start to redress the balance of ventilation with energy efficiency since the pandemic has clearly shown the importance of good indoor air quality to health and wellbeing.”
To download the updated 2022 edition of the BEAMA Ventilation White Paper, please click here.
To download the BEAMA Ventilation Manifesto graphic, please click here.