HEA 02

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 – Building materials for M&E purposes - KBCN1740

All M&E materials are excluded from VOC assessment requirements. However, from V7 onward, while finished M&E products may be excluded, all on-site applications of paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants used for M&E purposes must be included in VOC assessments under their relevant material categories.

02 July 2025 - Inclusion of duct insulation removed

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 – 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 – 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.

30-Oct-2025 - Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
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 VOC content and 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.

30-Oct-2025 Applicable to HQM V6 and UKNCR V6.1
02-Oct-2025 Reference to 'VOC content' added and KBCN applied to UKNC V7 and INC V7 to clarify CN2.1 
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.

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.

Ventilation – e-cigarettes - KBCN1014

The use of e-cigarettes and vaporizers is considered equivalent to smoking. A smoking ban must also include a ban on e-cigarettes and vaporizers.

11-Oct-2022 - Scheme applicability updated.

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 – 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 credit issues – Clarification of scope - KBCN1797

The scope of these requirements does not include furnishings or moveable furniture, e.g. desks, seats or shelving. It includes fixtures and fittings that are integral to the building, such as kitchen units and toilet cubicles. However, bespoke fixtures, such as purpose-made items of fixed furniture, can be excluded, as the specified compliance testing is not appropriate for such items.

New Construction / NOR / V6 / 02 - Health and Wellbeing /