Ventilation Requirements In Schools

Ventilation is an important consideration and needs to be installed in schools. There are many factors that contribute to a safe environment for children regarding their health, and ventilation being installed is one of them. 

Ventilation will help to remove and displace polluted air, replacing it with fresh air as pollutants in the air can cause health effects. Therefore there are many requirements that need to be in place in schools, ensuring the correct amount of ventilation is provided in every room and the rooms are at an adequate temperature.

There are a variety of ways schools can ventilate the classrooms whilst following the requirements according to the 2006 edition of BB101, for example: opening windows, roof stacks, centralised systems, fans, mechanical ventilation systems and many other options.

One of the main requirements according to Approved Document F, guidance notes to The Building Regulations 2010, is:

“There shall be adequate means of ventilation provided for people in the building.”

In order to ensure this, rooms should be kept at the correct temperatures, without any draughts. This will ensure children are learning in a comfortable environment all year round. Using ventilation will stop the room from being humid in the summer months and reduce draughts in the winter. This can be done with detailed calculation methods which ensures air conditioning is not overused when rooms are hot.

The main requirement is to reduce sources of indoor pollutants, so the air is not polluted and that there is sufficient amount of fresh or purified air in the classrooms. The air needs to be fresh as it will less likely have impurities that cause illness and it is not allowed to be restricted. If the air is not clean then children and staff may face symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and sneezing as well as the increase chance of spread of respiratory diseases. Diluting polluted air means fresh air from the outdoors will eliminate any odors and get rid of polluted air. Additionally, the mixture of having outdoor air ventilated within the classrooms ensures the rooms have the correct concentration of carbon dioxide. According to the 2006 edition of BB101 the concentration of CO2 of less than 1500 ppm is required.

Naturally ventilated classrooms are a necessity and whilst this can increase energy bills for schools it needs to be in place for children to learn productively and teachers to do their jobs at the highest standard possible. In order to meet the ventilation requirements schools can use temperature and carbon dioxide sensors. There are also many ways rooms can be ventilated all year round, therefore following ventilation requirements is obliged.

Pratley & Partners provide natural ventilation and smoke ventilation solutions, as well as electric and manual window controls, to schools and commercial enterprises, helping them to create safe, healthy and comfortable environments. Get in touch to see how we can help you.