Protect your students well-being this winter while keeping them warm
Protecting students from COVID-19 while keeping them warm in your classrooms through delivery of fresh air without opening windows is a major challenge for your school. Vent-Axia are here to help with free advice and ventilation surveys to help you solve this problem in the most cost effective way.
Having effective ventilation installed and improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) is paramount to the health and well-being of your students and teachers. If your School doesn’t have adequate ventilation then your only option is to open windows, this not only causes heat loss and cold draughts depending on the season but high levels of CO2 can build-up which often exceeds the CIBSE guidelines maximum of 1500ppm which directly affects the performance and attention span of those in the room, causing tiredness, drowsiness, and a lack of concentration. Longer term exposure to polluted air is also linked too many serious health conditions such as cancer, asthma and cardiovascular diseases.
The accumulation of other pollutants and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) such as cleaning products, sprays and glue are also contributors that lead to a poor indoor environment. Further independent guidance on this has been published by a number of governing sources and can be found here.
Natural ventilation
CO2 can’t be greater than 2000ppm for 20 consecutive minutes or more during the day. Average CO2 during the day must be less than 1500ppm.
Mechanical ventilation
CO2 can’t be greater than 1500ppm for 20 consecutive minutes or more during the day. Average CO2 during the day must be less than 1000ppm.
Science labs
A Signal warning goes off when CO2 reaches 2800ppm prompting the teacher to activate manual purge ventilation. Automatic gas shut off at 5000ppm.
Source: Department for Education - Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools - June 2016
Providing you the right ventilation solution for your school
Having effective ventilation installed ensures there is a constant stream of fresh air circulated while reducing the pollutant build up by removing toxic air. This will improve the indoor air quality, protecting the health and wellbeing of occupants and increase their concentration and productivity levels. For 80 years Vent-Axia has set the standard and can help you tackle COVID-19 and other harmful pollutants for your school with a wide range of ventilation solutions and advice. We can work with you and your Facilities Manager or provide appropriate support through our expertise and contacts within the construction industry to deliver you the right solution. Here you will see some examples of ventilation and sensor products and how they are used effectively to improve the indoor environment.
1. CO2 Sensor
Our sensors are discreetly located on a wall and can intelligently boost your ventilation based on the detected CO2 levels. They can also provide a warning indication for teachers if CO2 levels rise above acceptable levels so that purge ventilation can be activated.
2. Ceiling Void
The box fan ducted system continuously supplies fresh air or extracts stale air or both. They can be mounted outside but would typically go in a loft void with attenuated ducting to prevent acoustic issues due to air movement. These fans can be connected to a CO2 sensor for optimal air quality control.
3. Ceiling Mounted Cooling
The sweep fan can assist with cooling in the summer or can recirculate the warm air from the ceiling in the winter to minimise the amount of time space heaters need to be active.
4. Window Ventilation
T-Series fans can provide background or purge ventilation in a classroom and are easily fitted to an existing window or through a wall. A single fan can provide enough ventilation to comply with BB101 for a 32 pupil classroom.
5. Portable Air Purifier
The Vent-Axia PureAir Room is an advanced multistage air cleaning system that can remove harmful particles and smells from a classroom, it can also be located anywhere where there is a mains outlet meaning no installation required.
Governing Body Guidance
UK Government The UK Government have published “BB 101: Ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality 2018” This Building Bulletin provides guidance on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools.
Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) CIBSE has published practical industry guidance on ventilation in its document ‘making the grade: BB101 guidelines on ventilation’. Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools has introduced a new category for ventilation – hybrid – in addition to the current mechanical and natural ventilation definitions.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) HSE has published extensive guidance on “Ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic”.