BS 40102-1 Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in Practice

Introduced in May 2023, BS 40102-1 sets out a code of practice for evaluating, monitoring, and assessing indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in non-domestic buildings, with the health and wellbeing of occupants at the forefront.

IEQ is an indicator of the quality of conditions inside a building, encompassing factors such as air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting, and noise.

Managing indoor environmental quality is essential for stakeholders such as employers, local authorities, landlords and developers, and in settings such as offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, universities, and shopping centres. Better IEQ has the potential improve the health and wellbeing of occupants, increase productivity, attract employees, customers, or tenants, as well as realise operational cost savings and increase the rental value of buildings.

Online and self-led, this modular course provides a comprehensive overview of indoor environmental quality, and the adoption and implementation of BS 40102-1, covering the following topics:

• The importance of IEQ and the potential effects on building occupants if it is sub-standard.
• Overview of the four parameter groups, maintenance aspects and occupant feedback.
• The three main pillars of the assessment methodology
• The indoor air pollutants covered by the standard, their sources, and their effects on human health.
• Thermal comfort: the importance of maintaining acceptable levels of temperature and humidity.
• Lighting quality: appropriate light levels and other factors such as flicker, glare and, controls.
• Acoustics and soundscape quality – i.e., sound and noise, and their effects on health.
•  How to measure the above IEQ parameters using test instruments and automatic monitoring systems (e.g., sensors).
• The crucial role of building/building systems maintenance.
•  Information gathering – e.g., building and building services data, room/area data, number/type of occupants.
•  Surveys of the building’s occupants and visitors.
•  Evaluation of results and the scoring/weighting of outcomes to give an overall IEQ performance score.
• Options for further investigation if certain aspects of IEQ are found to be unacceptable.

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand the importance and benefits to stakeholders of good IEQ in non-domestic buildings.
• Be conversant with the way in which the evaluation prescribed in the standard may be planned, implemented, and followed up.
• Appreciate the IEQ parameters and other factors considered by the standard, their importance in occupied spaces, and how they can be measured/assessed.
• Understand the importance of combining physical monitoring and occupant feedback, and how both aspects are considered when arriving at an IEQ performance score for the space being evaluated.