Do an air quality scan of your organization
You tackle the following challenges:
That's how you do it
By mapping the current situation, you get a better view of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. These insights help you to implement a more targeted air quality policy for your organization and to choose the best actions.
Our air quality scan helps you to map out your initial situation in a very simple way.
The scan produces a score on various factors that together determine the air quality in and around your organization. If, according to the scan, you score less well on some of these factors, then first of all start with actions that are in line with these factors:
Air quality scan factors | What actions can you take? |
|---|---|
Outdoor air quality | How do I make my environment healthy? How do I limit vehicle emissions? How do I reduce emissions from wood combustion? |
Exposure | How do I expose myself less to harmful substances? |
Indoor air quality | How do I improve indoor air quality? |
Awareness | How do I make my environment more aware of air quality? |
Air quality policy | How do I structurally put air quality on the agenda of my organization? |
Healthy trips | How do I encourage sustainable travel? How do I choose a greener fleet? |
How do you complete the air quality scan?
The air quality scan distinguishes three levels . Below we explain the lowest and highest level. If you are in between, indicate level 2 on the diagram.
Outdoor air quality
Level 1: Average NO 2 annual concentration >= 40 µg/m3.
Level 3: Average NO 2 annual concentration 20 µg/m3.
Ask for help:
- What is the average NO 2 annual concentration on the outdoor space(s) and on the surrounding streets of your organization according to the air quality maps of Flanders / the Netherlands ?
- Did your organization participate in the CurieuzeNeuzen air quality survey in 2018 (Flanders)? What were the measurement results? Read more about measuring outdoor air quality .
Exposure to polluted outdoor air in your organization
Level 1 : Polluted air from the surrounding (busy) streets easily enters the buildings and/or outdoor areas of your organization
Level 3: Buildings and outdoor areas are well shielded from the surrounding (busy) streets.
Ask for help:
Buildings
Building layout: Which areas of your building face the street?
- Frequently used spaces such as activity rooms, offices, classrooms…?
- Little-used areas such as corridors or halls, technical areas, sanitary facilities…
Are the most used spaces mainly on the street side or do they open onto a traffic-calmed side or garden?
Read more about moving frequently used spaces to the car-free side
Façades: Do the façades adjacent to the side with high traffic keep out the air from the street well, or are there ventilation grilles and openings, cracks, crevices?
Read more about insulating your building .
Ventilation: On which side do you ventilate your building?
- Do the windows in the traffic-heavy facades have to be opened in order to ventilate or ventilate sufficiently, or can sufficient ventilation be provided through the other windows?
- Is there a mechanical ventilation system? Where does this suck the air in: along a busy side or a traffic-calmed side?
Read more about proper ventilation .
Outdoor spaces
Do frequently used outdoor spaces of your organization border on the street, or are they shielded from the street by buildings?
- If the outdoor space borders directly on the street, is it on a busy or quiet street?
- If the outdoor space is surrounded by buildings, are these high or low buildings? Is there a gap between the buildings that directly connects the outdoor space and the street? Is this opening closed by a closed port (which allows little or no air to pass through) or not?
Indoor air quality
Level 1 : There are (probably) different products or materials in the buildings of your organization that emit harmful substances.
Level 3: There are no products or materials in your organization's buildings that emit harmful substances.
Ask for help:
Ventilation and air purification
- Is there a mechanical ventilation system? Does this have to be set manually, or is the control automatic? Is the system regularly checked or maintained?
- If there is no mechanical ventilation: is there sufficient ventilation and ventilation in your organization? Are there agreements about this with employees/members? Is there someone who monitors this within your organization?
- Is there an air purification installation (for example a fine dust filter)? What type? Is it regularly maintained? Are the filters replaced regularly?
Read more about good ventilation
Read more about purifying air with an air purifier
Indoor air pollutants
- How are the buildings heated (electricity, gas, fuel oil, wood…)? How old is the heating system? Is it regularly checked?
Read more about heating systems
- Has there been renovation or construction work in your organization in the past year? Were sustainable and healthy building materials such as paint, floor covering, adhesives, etc. used?
Read more about building and renovating with healthy materials
- Does your organization opt for healthy products when purchasing furniture, electrical appliances or craft materials, for example?
Read more about purchasing healthy products
- Which cleaning products are used in your organization? Are they harmful or not?
Read more about healthy brushing
- Have there ever been measurements of indoor air quality (e.g. CO2, temperature, relative humidity…) in your organization? When? In which areas? What were the results of these measurements? What happened to the results?
Awareness about air quality in your organization and in the neighbourhood
Level 1: Members and local residents of your organization are not concerned with air quality.
Level 3: Members and local residents of your organization actively strive for better air quality.
Ask for help
- Does your organization receive comments about the air quality in your organization or in the surrounding area from employees, members or local residents? Is air quality discussed during meetings or at informal moments?
- Were or are air quality measurements or awareness-raising actions taken by your organization itself, by employees, members or local residents?
- Are the above signals or actions widely supported within your organization or in the neighbourhood? Or are they limited to a specific group?
Air quality policy in your organization
Level 1: Your organization is not consciously working to improve air quality or reduce exposure to polluted air
Level 3: There is a structural policy on improving air quality and reducing exposure in your organization
Ask for help:
- Is someone responsible for the air quality policy in your organization (possibly within a broader health policy, sustainability policy or prevention policy)? Does that person have enough time for this?
- Are you investing in air quality measures in your organization or in the environment? Are there budgets for this?
Healthy trips
Level 1: More than 15% of people usually come to your organization by car or scooter.
Level 3 : Less than 5% of people usually come to your organization by car or scooter
Ask for help:
What percentage of employees, members or visitors usually come to your organization in the following way?
- on foot
- By bike
- With public transport
- With the scooter
- By car
- A different kind of
