18-11-2020 | United Kingdom

CIBSE initially published COVID-19 Ventilation guidance on 9th May, followed by Version 2 on 12th May and Version 3 on 15th July, in response to the CIBSE position, taken in April, that there was the potential for airborne aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Version 4 was published on October 23rd.

 

This guidance adopts a precautionary approach with the objective of ventilating spaces as much as reasonably possible with outside air as one measure to reduce transmission risk.

 

This COVID-19 ventilation guidance is intended to give business owners and managers an outline of ventilation systems commonly encountered in buildings to assist in the preparation to re-open workplaces and how they can be used to reduce the risks of airborne infection. It will help building managers and those who operate and maintain building systems to identify those areas of a building and elements of ventilation systems that may need particular attention to reduce the risks to the building occupants.

 

This guidance will inform considerations of safe working practices and the provision of ventilation in non-residential buildings. It is intended primarily for offices, schools, educational buildings, retail and industrial buildings where occupants are mainly sedentary. Further consideration and more specialist advice may be needed for healthcare, food production, other specialist buildings and indoor spaces where activities known to increase respiratory aerosols take place, e.g singing, loud talking, aerobic exercise.

 

This CIBSE COVID-19 ventilation guidance is under continued review.

 

The document is freely accessible at the CIBSE website