Hea 02 - Indoor air quality - BREEAM Knowledge Base

Accreditation – sampling and testing laboratories - KBCN1337

Analysis / testing laboratory NC 2016 or newer: Where an organisation used for the analysis of indoor air or emissions from building products is not accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, the organisation must be accredited, either by a national accreditation body, or by a member of any one of the following accreditation groups: European Cooperation for Accreditation International Accreditation Forum International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation The accreditation must specifically cover the analysis of indoor air or emissions from building products. Other schemes: Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is not required in the criteria. However, this KBCN has been applied to encourage a consistent approach towards accreditation. Accreditation by a national or internationally recognised organisation helps to ensure rigorous, consistent and reliable testing results. Sampling organisation If another organisation carries out sampling on behalf of the analysis / testing laboratory, this organisation does not need to be accredited to the above. However, they must provide a brief report justifying:

The sampling methodology used.
Appropriate environmental conditions during the sampling.
The number and location of samples taken.

This report is provided to the BREEAM assessor and submitted as supporting evidence for this issue.

31-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. Scheme applicability updated.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
24-May-2022 Updated to differentiate between sampling and analysis requirements. 
07-May-2021 Added clarification regarding alternative qualifications. 
10-May-2021 Updated scheme applicability.

Applicability – industrial operational areas - KBCN1342

The aim of this issue is to encourage a healthy internal environment. For the operational areas of industrial buildings, the internal environment is dictated by health and safety requirements. This means that the BREEAM requirements should not be made applicable to them, and so the operational areas can be ignored in the assessment of Hea 02.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – earlier versions of AgBB standard - KBCN0655

Guidance Note GN22 lists the standard AgBB (2015) as a recognised scheme for emissions from building products for pre-December 2015 launched BREEAM schemes. Previous versions of the AgBB scheme are not listed as recognised schemes because earlier versions of AgBB did not include any requirement for the testing of Formaldehyde. If an earlier version AgBB has been used, further evidence will be required to provide additional information on the required Formaldehyde testing.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Emissions from products – EU CLP Regulation and Category 1A/B carcinogen emission limits - KBCN1280

The European Regulation (EC) No.1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (‘the CLP Regulation’ or ‘CLP’) applies to all EU Member States. CLP requires manufacturers, importers, downstream users and distributors to communicate the identified hazards of a substance or mixture to the other parties in the supply chain, including to consumers. The regulation requires products with hazardous properties to be labelled in accordance with CLP before being placed on the market. CLP requires products containing any ingredients that have been classified as Category 1A and 1B carcinogens to be labelled as carcinogenic. Therefore, with respect to the BREEAM Category 1A and 1B carcinogens emission limit criteria, for products marketed in EU Member States, if a product’s safety information (e.g. safety data sheet) or a manufacturer’s declaration confirms that that the product does not need to be labelled as a Category 1A or 1B carcinogen in accordance with CLP, then this information would be an acceptable form of evidence for demonstrating compliance with the criteria.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Emissions from products – Guidance Note 22 (GN22) - KBCN0719

Latest version: v2.9, September 2024 Within the Health and Wellbeing category of several BREEAM schemes, credits are awarded for specifying materials that minimise emissions from building products of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The criteria involve meeting emission level performance requirements in accordance with compliant performance and testing standards. Guidance Note 22 (GN22) lists schemes that show equivalent or better performance than the current BREEAM and HQM criteria, and therefore can be used to demonstrate compliance with the criteria. This document should be read in conjunction with the relevant assessment issue guidance provided in the appropriate BREEAM or HQM technical manual. The guidance note contains two tables:

Table 1 is for use with BREEAM schemes that were first released before December 2015.
Table 2 is for use with BREEAM (and HQM) schemes that were first released from December 2015 onwards (post-November 2015).

Download Guidance Note 22 View all Guidance Notes on BREEAM Projects (licensed assessors only)

30-Sep-2024 - Updated for release of GN22 2.9
01-Feb-2024 - Updated for release of GN22 2.8
31-Jan-2023 - Updated for release of GN22 2.7
10-Oct-2022 - This KBCN merged with KBCN0646. Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.
25-Jan-2019 - Link to Guidance Note updated
12-Mar-2018 - Link to Guidance Note updated

Emissions from products – installations manufactured off-site - KBCN0137

Internal finishes to installations manufactured off-site such as elevators need to be assessed for the emissions from products criteria. The specification of internal finishes (regardless of whether they are installed on site or in the factory) will impact on VOC emissions. By specifying low VOC finishes, design teams will be encouraging manufacturers to consider the environmental impacts of their products.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Emissions from products – manufacturers’ calculations for paints and varnishes - KBCN0452

Manufacturers' calculations of VOC content, based on the constituent ingredients, can be used to demonstrate compliance with the testing requirement for paints and varnishes.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – paints and varnishes – historic buildings - KBCN1041

Scope This KBCN covers the use of paints and varnishes for the 'emissions from products' criteria. These are paints that:

May contain high VOC content exceeding BREEAM limits or
Falls within the scope of 'Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Vanishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2012'.

These paints may be used in new extensions to historic buildings (this KBCN is a manual compliance note in RFO 2014). Exemptions for use The use of such paints is allowable if:

There is an explicit requirement from the local authority conservation officer or the national conservation body to use specific paints and varnishes and
The building is listed and protected under a historic buildings register.

Localisation National conservation bodies and accepted grade listings applicable to this KBCN are:

England: English Heritage - Grade I and II*.
Wales: Cadw - Grade I and II*.
Scotland: Historic Scotland - Grade A and B+.
Northern Ireland: Department for Communities (HIstoric Environment) - Grade A and B+.

Remedial actions In all cases, procedures are in place to flush the building out for a sufficient period before occupation. This is to reduce the risks associated with VOCs in accordance with the criteria.

11-Oct-2022 KBCN restructured for clarity. Title amended for clarity. National conservation body for NI updated. Scheme applicability updated.

Emissions from products – scope of assessment - KBCN0212

General This issue covers any product installed or applied inside the inner surface of the building’s infiltration, vapour or waterproof membrane. Where this membrane is not present, it applies to the inside of the building envelope’s interior-facing thermal insulation layer. Only products that are installed or applied in parts of the building where their emissions are likely to affect indoor air quality need to be assessed. Paints and coatings Any decorative paints and varnishes that occupants are exposed to should be assessed. This is likely to include paints and coatings applied to walls, ceilings, floors, doors, etc. Whole products A finish applied to a product in the factory is assessed as a whole product, and not separately as a paint or coating. For instance, a wood panel has a finish applied in the factory. The whole panel, including all the elements that make up that panel, would need to comply with the requirements set for wood panel products in this issue. The finished product as a whole must meet the performance requirements / emission limits set in the manual.

11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Content merged with KBCN0871.
10-Oct-2022 - Wording simplified. Scheme applicability updated.
16-Jun-2017 - Title and general principle amended to extend the applicability of the KBCN to all finishes. Paints specified for specialist applications covered in KBCN0872.

Emissions from products – specialist paints and coatings - KBCN0872

Where a paint or coating falls within:

A category in Annex II of the EU Directive 2004/42/CE or,
A category in the relevant product emission table of the technical manual,

then the paint or coating must be assessed. Specialist paints and coatings are exempted from meeting the emission limits where there are no alternative products available that can perform the function, and still meet the emission limits. This must be clearly evidenced.

27-Oct-2022 Wording clarified. New compliance principle added from UKNC V6.
10-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.
13-Mar-2020 KBCN amended to clarify exceptions and applicability.
16-Jun-2017 Content merged with KBCN0212.

Emissions from products – testing to ISO 16000-10 - KBCN1134

Results of testing to ISO 16000-10 can be considered compliant with the relevant testing requirements of the emissions from construction products credit where the product manufacturer can demonstrate the results generated by testing to ISO 16000-10 correlate to results that would be achieved using EN 16516 or ISO 16000-9. This is because EN 16516 classifies ISO 16000-10 as an ‘indirect method’, which means “any simplified, screening, secondary, derived or alternative method. An indirect method can be applied if it provides a result that is comparable to or that correlates with the result of the reference method under the conditions applied. The validity of the correlation with the reference method is limited to the field of application for which it has been established.”

11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.

Exemplary level criteria – not all product categories specified - KBCN0636

The assessment of exemplary level criteria assumes that every product category is specified. It awards credit(s) based on the number of product categories that meet the exemplary levels. Where the assessment does not contain every product category, all product categories must meet the exemplary level requirements. [accordion] [accordion_block title="1 exemplary credit"] Exemplary credit requirement: 3 out of 4 product types meet the exemplary requirements. An assessment has only specified 3 product types in total. To achieve the credit, all product types must meet the exemplary criteria. [/accordion_block] [accordion_block title="2 exemplary credits"] Exemplary credit requirement:

1 exemplary credit: 4 out of 5 product types meet the exemplary requirements.
2 exemplary credits: 5 out of 5 product types meet the exemplary requirements.

An assessment has only specified 3 product types in total.

No exemplary credits are awarded if 2 out of 3 product types meet the requirements.
2 exemplary credits are awarded if 3 out of 3 product types meet the requirements.

[/accordion_block] [/accordion]

19-Oct-2022 - Wording and title clarified. Scheme applicability updated. Scenario added.

Indoor air quality plan – Guidance Note 6 - KBCN0618

Latest version: v2.1 August 2022 Guidance Note 6 provides guidance to assessors and project teams regarding the content and rigour of an Indoor Air Quality Plan (IAQP) as required by the Hea 02 Indoor air quality criteria in the BREEAM New Construction and Refurbishment schemes. It should not be interpreted as BREEAM criteria. It is intended to provide assessors and project teams with further, flexible information and guidance regarding the rigour, content and tasks of an IAQP. Download Guidance Note 6 (licensed assessors only) View all Guidance Notes (licensed assessors only)

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency.

Indoor air quality plan – later consideration - KBCN1544

Where BREEAM has been engaged at a later stage in the project (for instance, at the beginning of a Post-Construction Assessment) the IAQ plan must still be produced. The late stage plan must clearly identify opportunities to improve indoor air quality that:

Were lost during design and construction.
Remain before hand-over and occupation.
Can be applied during operation.

The plan is focused on decisions and actions that can still be practically carried out. The indoor air quality plan is an on-going consideration that extends into the operational life of the asset.

Indoor air quality plan – pre-requisite – no link to later performance - KBCN1541

The indoor air quality plan is a pre-requisite to achieving other credits in Hea 02. However, achieving the pre-requisite does not depend on achieving the other credits in the issue:

Ventilation.
Emissions from construction products.
Post-construction indoor air quality measurement.

The pre-requisite requirement is only for a compliant indoor air quality plan to be written.

17-Nov-2022 Wording clarified.

Indoor air quality plan – scope - KBCN0294

Where possible, the indoor air quality plan must cover all items in the criteria. This means the plan must be completed for:

Situations where BREEAM has been engaged later in the project (see KBCN1544).
Shell only / shell and core projects - the plan must be completed for the scope of works being assessed.
Refurbishment projects with a limited scope of works.

Within these requirements, there is flexibility for the design team to use their professional judgement to determine what is appropriate to meet the criteria. Any exclusions must be clearly evidenced and justified. As the basis for effective asset management, the indoor air quality plan must be written in a consistent and comprehensive manner. The report must address relevant aspects as fully as possible within the scope of the development.

11-Oct-2022 Title updated for clarity. Wording clarified. Content merged with KBCN0556. Reference to KBCN1544 added. Scheme applicability updated.

Post-construction measurement – formaldehyde / VOC levels exceed limits - KBCN0258

If the measured formaldehyde / VOC concentrations were above the prescribed limits, the appropriate remedial action must be taken, as described in the IAQ Plan. The criterion requires confirmation of 'the measures that have or will be undertaken' however it does not specifically address re-testing. We would expect, however that the IAQ Plan should outline what remedial measures are appropriate depending upon the severity and type of the non-compliance with prescribed limits. Such measures may include re-testing as a matter of 'best practice'. Where levels are found to exceed these limits, the project team confirms the measures that have, or will be undertaken in accordance with the IAQ plan, to reduce the TVOC and formaldehyde levels to within the above limits.

10-Oct-2022 - Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Made applicable to UK and International NC V6.

Post-construction measurement – sampling methodology and KPIs - KBCN0380

When testing for VOCs post-completion and pre-occupancy, a representative sample of the building needs to be carried out. Each sample TVOC and formaldehyde measurement needs to achieve the threshold levels individually, either in the initial testing or after remedial measures have been implemented. This ensures that all tested areas of the building are below the limits, and that areas of non-compliance are not ‘averaged out’. 'When providing KPI test results for air quality post-construction / pre-occupancy within scoring and reporting tool, where the limits are exceeded and remediation and re-testing are carried out, the figure should be an average for the whole building post-remediation, as this is the key figure that reflects the building at its certified state'. Where testing is not a requirement of the IAQ Plan and this is not carried out, the original testing figures should be entered and the assessment report should provide details of the remediation measures undertaken to reduce these to within the prescribed limits.

10-Oct-2022 Title amended to align with standard KBCN naming format for clarity and consistency. Scheme applicability updated.
06-Dec-2017 Amended to account for situations where re-testing is not required by the IAQ Plan.

Post-construction measurement- TVOC concentration using BS ISO 16000-6: 2021 VOCs in air by active sampling - KBCN1642

Where BS ISO 16000-6: 2021 VOCs in air by active sampling is used, the TVOC concentration measurement can be performed over a 40-60 minute period.

Potential for natural ventilation – mechanically ventilated and mixed mode assets - KBCN1533

Scope of KBCN This KBCN clarifies the associated compliance note for this credit.

NC 2011 & 2013 - No CN, but the principle of this KBCN can be applied.
NC 2014 v5.0 - CN 3.1
INC 2016 v2.0 and INC V6 - CN 3.11
RFO 2014 v2.0 - CN 7
RFO 2015 v1.4 - CN 5.2

Clarification Mechanically ventilated and mixed mode assets can potentially achieve the 'potential for natural ventilation' credit by:

Meeting the relevant criteria for room depth and glazing area OR, where this is not possible:
Show through modelling that the building has the potential to be ventilated entirely via a natural ventilation strategy.

For 2. the second paragraph of the CN allows flexibility in demonstrating adaptability to an entirely natural ventilation strategy. An asset can allow for mechanical ventilation for ≤ 5% of its annual operating hours to boost ventilation rates, and (for this credit) can still be considered to be a fully naturally ventilated strategy. ≤ 5% mechanical ventilation requirement The focus of this credit is to demonstrate future adaptability to introduce fresh air into the asset for occupant comfort, so this requirement relates only to the time that mechanical systems are used to drive air through the asset. The use of active heating / cooling is not considered in this calculation. Natural Ventilation Heat Recovery Units (NVHR) systems can also be used, provided it meets this ≤ 5% requirement. ≤ 5% is a weighted average over all of the asset's occupied spaces. The basis for the weighting will be determined by the modelling software used. Scope and time scale of modelling The modelling covers all occupied spaces. Where relevant, exclusions are allowed - see related KBCNs for details. The modelling period is one year, during the asset's operating hours. The modelling must be based on a plausible scenario that is realistic. This means that:

Potential changes can be practically and reasonably achieved by future occupants. For example, the adaptation strategy must not require new or modified openings in the building envelope or include significant or disruptive changes to the internal layout.
The changes do not compromise the intended function or operation of the asset.
For speculative assets, a realistic notional layout can be used. See KBCN0408.
The modelling assumption does not need to factor in climate change. The aim of the credit is prove the validity of a future naturally ventilated scenario - if and when this is carried out is outside the scope of the certification.

22-Oct-2022 Content from KBCN1126 merged to this KBCN.

Ventilation – external requirement for window opening restrictors - KBCN1032

Opening restrictors to windows may sometimes need to be installed to meet:

Health and safety requirements,
Building regulations or,
Legal obligations.

Where such external requirements are in force, these requirements cannot be used as a mitigating factor for meeting the BREEAM ventilation criteria. Even with window restrictors, adequate ventilation can still be achieved.

19-Oct-2022 Wording and title clarified. Scheme applicability updated.

Ventilation – filtration – non-residential assets - KBCN0797

Relevant specialist required The design and specification of air filtration for mechanical ventilation requires the input and review of a relevant ventilation designer or specialist. It is their responsibility to interpret the requirements of this KBCN to align with local conditions. Referenced standard The requirements for air filtration in mechanical ventilation systems follows EN 16798-3:2017 Section B4.2. This standard replaces EN 13779:2007. See KBCN1054. Supply air quality

For assessments using current standard EN 16798-3:2017 Section B4.2: The minimum supply air quality required is SUP2. SUP 2 applies unless the asset's function dictates even higher supply air quality. Please refer to a relevant specialist for further advice.
For assessments using legacy standard EN 13779:2007 Annex A3: The default minimum indoor air quality category required is IDA2. For international assessments where there is no relevant local guidance in the ASWL, the default non-domestic ventilation rates stated in the ASWL equate to an EN 13779 indoor air category of IDA2.

Outdoor air quality The filtering required to achieve SUP2 is affected by outdoor air quality. Outdoor air quality (ODA) in both EN 16798-3:2017 and EN 13779:2007 are defined as:

ODA 1: outdoor air that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines or national air quality standards.
ODA 2 exceeds ODA 1 levels by factor of ≤1.5.
ODA 3 exceeds ODA 1 levels by factor > 1.5.

As ODA definitions are relative to national air quality standards, these will depend on local regulations and the location of the asset. Please refer to the relevant specialist on how to correctly classify ODA for your asset.

18-Nov-2022 Title amended to differentiate between residential and non-residential filtration KBCNs.
06-Sep-2022 KBCN re-written and re-named to clarify BREEAM ventilation filtration requirements in relation to new ventilation standards. Scheme applicability updated.

Ventilation – school office areas - KBCN0223

Office areas in schools should comply with listed office ventilation rates set in 'BB 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality in schools'.

19-Oct-2022 Title amended for clarity. Scheme applicability updated.

Ventilation – single room MVHRs - KBCN1042

Single room mechanical ventilation heat recovery units do not need to show that the air intake and exhaust are a suitable distance apart. However, the air intakes of these units must be located to minimise intake of other potential external pollutants.

11-Oct-2022 - Title amended for clarity and consistency. Wording simplified. Scheme applicability updated.

VOC product emission certificates – validity - KBCN1689

Where it can be demonstrated that construction product emission certificates were valid either at the time of specification, or at time of purchase, they may contribute to awarding credits.

BREEAM is primarily trying to encourage designers to take construction product emissions into consideration when specifying or selecting products and as such it is not necessary for certification to be valid at the time of design or post-construction stage submissions.

New Construction / UK / V6 / 02 Health and Wellbeing /

Hea 02 - Indoor air quality