Air
Quality
WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY
DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
This guide has been produced by the Workplace Health and Safety Council to provide employers with
information on the considerations needed when assessing the need to introduce control measures to
provide a healthy and comfortable working environment for their employees.
The guide aims to help improve the quality of work environments by outlining factors affecting indoor
air quality and suggesting ways of managing the quality of indoor air for all workplaces.
Temperature 5
Humidity 5
Air Movement 6
Air Changes 6
Investigation 8
Ventilation 9
Air Cleaning 10
Administrative measures 10
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 11
air contaminants
air-conditioning examples
design inadequate cooling capacity
operation not turned on before occupants arrive
maintenance filters not changed
people smoking
body odour
perfumes
Australian and New Zealand Environmental National Health and Medical Research Council.
Council Discussion Paper on Indoor Air Interim National Indoor Air Quality Goals
Pollution, (1990: ANZEC). recommended by the National Health and
Medical Research Council..(I993: NHMRC -
American Conference of Governmental Internal Document).
Industrial Hygienists. Guidelines for the
Assessment of Bioaerosols in the Indoor Samet J. & Spengler J., Eds. Indoor Air
Environment. (1989:ACGIH, Cincinnati, OH). Pollution - A Health Perspective. (199I: The
]ohns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore,
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and MD).
Air-Conditioning Engineers. ASHRAE Standard
62 - 1989 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Standards Australia. AS 3666 - 1989 Air -
Quality. (ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA). Handling and Water Systems of Building -
Microbial Control. (Standards Australia,
Brooks B. & Davis W. Understanding Indoor Air Sydney).
Quality. (1992: CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton,
FI). Standards Australia. AS 1668.2 - 1991 The Use
of Mechanical Ventilation and Air-Conditioning
Building Owners and Managers Association of in Buildings Part 2: Mechanical Ventilation for
Australia. Managing Indoor Air Quality. (1994: Acceptable Indoor-Air Quality. (Standards
BOMA Australia). Australia, Sydney).
Department of Employment and Industrial Standards Australia. HB 32 - 1992 Control of
Relations. Code of Practice 202 - Ventilation Microbial Growth in Air Handling and Water
and Thermal Control, (1983: Australian Systems in Buildings, (Standards Australia,
Government Publishing Service, Canberra). Sydney).