BESA’s New Building Regulations

Updates to BESA Building Regulations

As of June 2022, BESA has introduced new regulations which essentially aim to make buildings safer, whilst reducing the all-important carbon footprint. The regulations that have existed, until now, have never been perfect. Still, the government has taken a big step towards, not only sustainability but, improved conditions and the environment surrounding these buildings. The ultimate goal of these new regulations is to reduce carbon reduction whilst improving indoor working conditions, which will lead to greater levels of health for people, boosting well-being and productivity.

The new regulations have stemmed from the experience throughout the pandemic and the plan for future regulations is to be prepared for the possibility of future pandemics e.g. new ventilation requirements being compulsory to produce clean air and limit the circulation of viruses where possible. The new regulations prioritise ventilation more than other areas, with no compromise on energy efficiency being made to ensure ventilation is as coherent as possible. The overall aim is for tighter fabric standards and greater air tightness, explicitly focusing on systems that bring outside air indoors.

Although areas like ventilation are not seeing many compromises for energy efficiency, that does not mean there is inefficiency, as the target figures are still sustainable. Parts L and F of the building regulations have undergone revision. As a result, we have seen the improvement of ventilation and overheating whilst reducing carbon emissions by 30% in new homes and 27% in non-domestic buildings. BESA believes this is realistically achieved by designing all new residential buildings to reduce overheating (regulation Part O). New ventilation requirements will see CO2 monitors become compulsory whilst implementing new ventilation standards.

The new regulations mean that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring is now compulsory in offices, whilst ventilation systems must be able to switch to ‘full fresh air’ mode when necessary, again highlighting the efforts to reduce virus transmission. Extract systems found in bathrooms must have an ‘always on’ too, and the minimum recommended air supply in these areas is now 0.5 l/s.m².

Ultimately, the new government building regulations have taken a huge step towards sustainability whilst prioritising ventilation within buildings to help reduce the risk of disease transmission, which was heightened during the recent pandemic. The aim is to strive closer towards a carbon net zero life whilst increasing health simultaneously. The regulations are a bonus for companies like us at System Hygienics as ‘Clean Air is Our Business’, and we are the leading ventilation maintenance company in the UK. New regulations will, undoubtedly, create panic within companies to ensure the guidelines are met. Still, we are experts in this field and are here to put you at ease whilst we guarantee your buildings meet the new standards and exceed them, helping prioritise general health whilst being energy efficient.

Get in touch if you would like more information on the new regulations, and we can help you with ventilation maintenance! Email us at onlineenquiry@systemhygienics.co.uk or call 01323 481170.