Let's protect eachother against respiratory infections.

Ventilation

Ventilation helps to eliminate contaminants that may be present inside buildings, whether they are microorganisms, bacteria or chemical pollutants, such as fine particles or volatile organic compounds.

The concentration of CO2 depends on the number of people in a room and the physical activity taking place there. The higher the CO2 concentration, the higher the concentration of aerosols (microdroplets produced by breathing) that may contain microorganisms, bacteria and viruses. This situation increases the risk of contamination.

A lack of ventilation in enclosed spaces promotes the spread of these substances. Ventilating and airing therefore help to reduce airborne transmission.

Clean indoor air is good for our health and well-being. That is the reason why the use of a CO2 meter is recommended in rooms where members of the public are present. A CO2 meter is a device that measures the concentration of CO2 in a given space. Using this type of meter helps to protect the population from the risks of contamination resulting from poor indoor air quality.

If the concentration of CO2 exceeds the 900 ppm threshold, an efficient ventilation system and the presence of air purification devices are strongly recommended.

Essential actions to be implemented were described in a series of “recommendations on ventilation and indoor air quality in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic” issued by the Ventilation Task Force of the Corona Commissariat.

For measuring the CO2 concentration in a room, please refer to the document “Selection and use of CO2 sensors in the framework of COVID-19”, also prepared by the Ventilation Task Force of the Corona Commissariat. These documents, although written in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, can still be used today as guidelines to improve indoor air quality.

The FPS Health is implementing an ambitious policy on indoor air quality building on the expertise acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy is based on a generic and cross-cutting law: the law of 6 November 2022 on the improvement of indoor air quality in closed places accessible to the public, published on 1 December 2022.

This law constitutes a framework that must be supplemented by royal decrees. Therefore it does not create direct obligations for the sectors concerned. These obligations and their implementation schedule will be specified in the coming months and will be communicated through the website of the FPS Health.

For further information

Annexes