What is a legal requirement for a ventilation system?

Under regulation 6 of the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, employers must 'ensure that every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air'.

hse.gov.uk - Overview - Ventilation in the workplace - HSE

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1. Overview

Employers must make sure there is adequate ventilation in enclosed areas of their workplace. Ventilation is the process of bringing in fresh air from outside and removing indoor air, which may:

be stale

be hot and humid because of work machinery and processes

contain pollutants and other impurities

This guidance will help you and your workers:

assess your workplace to identify poorly ventilated areas

decide on the actions you can take to improve ventilation

It does not cover the removal of harmful substances from the air such as welding fumes and dust generated by processes. For help with this, go to our guidance on: The guidance aims to help businesses comply with their duty to provide sufficient fresh air under health and safety law rather than reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Why ventilation is important

Not only is it the law to provide sufficient fresh air, but studies have shown that good ventilation is associated with:

improved health

better concentration

higher levels of satisfaction with an environment

lower rates of absence from work

better quality of sleep

reduced exposure to a wide range of air pollutants

Methods of ventilation

The method of ventilation will depend on the building and you will need to decide which options work best for your workplace. Natural ventilation relies on doors, windows and other openings such as trickle vents, air bricks or grilles to provide air. Mechanical ventilation uses fans to move air into and out of rooms. In small spaces and buildings these may be in the room, but larger buildings may use a network of ducts and fans to blow clean air into rooms and/or extract the stale air. Many buildings have a mixture of natural and mechanical ventilation, with either (or both) systems in different spaces.

What the law says

Under regulation 6 of the Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, employers must ‘ensure that every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air’.

Video on providing ventilation at work

The following video gives basic advice on providing adequate fresh air at work.

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duravent.com - Type B Gas Vent - DuraVent

DuraVent’s innovative system for a lock-tight connection for Type B Gas Vent called DuraLock. See the alignment indicators meet; feel the ends grasp together; hear the snap as the connection firmly locks into place. DuraVent Type B Gas Vent is designed to meet the rugged demands of the job site. The inner wall is recessed to eliminate damage in handling. Type B Gas Vent has been engineered to heat up rapidly. It remains hot during the operation of the appliance with minimal condensation in the appliance and vent system. Pipe lengths are available in multiple lengths, 6 to 60 inches, with a full complement of adjustable and rigid fittings. Type B gas vents are not suitable for use with wood-burning or coal applications, industrial ovens, exhaust ranges and hoods, grease or pollution ducting, or as free-standing exhaust vents for high-temperature applications.

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