The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (Reg 6) require "effective and suitable provision" for ventilation of enclosed workplaces. HSE guidance INDG244 expands on this; COSHH 2002 governs hazardous-substance exposure. Workplace air quality →
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Workplace duties
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EH40 Workplace Exposure Limits
HSE EH40/2005 (current revision) lists Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for specific airborne substances — 8-hour TWA and 15-minute STEL values. Includes formaldehyde, CO, NO₂, respirable crystalline silica, isocyanates and hundreds of others. Mandatory for occupational exposure assessment.
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Building Regulations — Approved Document F
ApprovedDoc F (2021 edition, in force from 2022) sets ventilation requirements for new and altered dwellings and non-domestic buildings — minimum extract rates, whole-dwelling ventilation rates, indoor air quality monitoring expectations for high-occupancy spaces. Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 1, Part F.
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Design standards
BS EN 16798-1:2019. Energy performance of buildings — Part 1: Indoor environmental input parameters. Defines Category I–IV indoor environments for design.
CIBSE Guide A & TM40. Environmental design and health & wellbeing in buildings — UK industry reference.
BB101 (schools), HTM 03-01 (healthcare). Sector-specific elaborations.
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Voluntary frameworks layered on top
WELL v2 and BREEAM Hea 02 add measurable performance targets — particularly PM2.5, TVOC, CO₂ and formaldehyde — that exceed minimum compliance. WELL → · BREEAM Hea 02 →