1. Indoor climate
Background
A distinction can be made between heat and cold stress (extreme situations) and problems regarding indoor climate (temperate conditions). Indoor climate itself is a combination ofgeneral and local thermal discomfort (cold, heat, draft, ...) and indoor air quality (ventilation problems, pollutants, ...). Moreover, it is debatable whether indoor climate problemsbelong to occupational hygiene or ergonomics.
Legislation
- KB Basic requirements for workplaces (10/10/2012) (Dutch)
- (ARAB (Dutch) Chapter II, Section I, Art. 55 to 58)
- Decree indoor air (11/06/2004) (Dutch)
- KB Thermal environment factors (04/06/2012) (Dutch)
Standards
- NBN EN ISO 7726:2001 Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Instruments for measuring physical quantities (ISO 7726:1998)
- NBN EN ISO 7730:2006 Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Analytical determination and interpretation of thermal comfort using calculation of the PMV and PPD indices and local thermal comfort criteria (ISO 7730:2005)
- NBN EN 13779 NL:2010 Ventilation for non-residential buildings - Performance requirements for ventilation and room-conditioning systems
- NBN EN ISO 11399:2001 Ergonomics of the thermal environment - Principles and application of relevant International Standards (ISO 11399:1995)
- NBN EN ISO 3382-3:2012 Acoustics - Measurement of room acoustic parameters - Part 3: Open plan offices (ISO 3382-3:2012)
- more information on http://www.nbn.be
Documentation
- Analysis and prevention of Sick Building Syndrome
- Arbokennisdossier Thermal Indoor Climate (Dutch)
- ACMT Indoor Air Pollutants Affecting Child Health
- BSOH Archive Seminar Thermal Environment factors (Dutch)
- EPA Moisture Control Guidance for Building Design, Construction and Maintenance
- HSE research report 42/1992 Sick Building Syndrome: a review of the evidence on causes and solutions
- INRS General principles on ventilation (French)
- Sobane brochure Thermal Environment factors (Dutch)
Tools
- CBE Thermal Comfort Tool (Hoyt, Schiavon, Piccioli, Moon, and Steinfeld, 2013, CBE Thermal Comfort Tool. Center for the Built Environment, University of California Berkeley)
- OPTIVENT (BBRI calculation tool for ventilation systems, in Dutch of French)
- Physical agents (Prof. T. Bernard)
- PMV/PPD/WBGT/PHS and PREVHEAT (Prof. J. Malchaire)
- PVM/PPD Calculator (I. Holmer)
- Air pollution in the world
Websites
- http://www.aiha.org/ has a specific Indoor Environmental Quality Committee
- http://www.arbeidshygiene.nl/ the Dutch Occupational Hygiene Society has a specific workgroup Offices (Dutch)
- http://www.arbokennisnet.nl (Dutch) Specialised Dutch site to gain ‘arbokennis’ with a specific section Climate and lighting (Dutch)
- http://www.arboportaal.nl/ (Dutch) Starting point of the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment for information on working conditions, specific section Climate (Dutch)
- http://www.cdc.gov/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention subsite on indoor environmental quality
- http://www.deparisnet.be/ and click on Sick Building Syndrome or Thermal environments
- http://www.epa.gov/ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a subsite on indoor air quality
- http://www.frissescholen.nl/ (Dutch) and http://www.lekkerfris.be/ (Dutch) specific for air quality in schools
- http://www.ggdkennisnet.nl/ (Dutch) Typing ‘Binnenmilieu’ or ‘Binnenklimaat’ in the search window gives a wealth of information; there is also a report indoor environment and health (Dutch)
- http://www.hse.gov.uk/ British Health and Safety Executive subsite Thermal comfort
- http://www.iciee.byg.dtu.dk/ International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy
- http://ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ the website of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has a section Indoor Air Quality
- http://en.inrs.fr/ The French National Institute for Research and Security has a special section Physical agents (French) on the site
- http://www.isiaq.org/ International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate
- http://www.osha.gov/ The American Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a specific subsection Indoor Air Quality
- http://www.ubf-aca.be/ (Dutch and French) Union of Belgian frigorists (grouping of the Belgian society for cold and air treatment)
- http://www.employment.belgium.be/ has theme pages on ventilation (Dutch) and thermal environment (Dutch), you can also search on indoor climate (Dutch)
- http://www.who.int/ has a specific page Indoor air pollution