Limit the number of people per room
The more people in a room, the more CO2, the faster the need for ventilation. So avoid overcrowded areas and place large groups in the best ventilated areas.
You tackle the following challenges:
That's how you do it
An unhealthy indoor climate has negative consequences for health and well-being. The CO 2 content is a good measure to determine the quality of the indoor climate when people are present. Humans produce CO 2 . The more people, the more CO 2 , the more air exchange is needed to keep the CO 2 concentration sufficiently low. If that ventilation is insufficient, it is therefore best to limit the number of people in a room.
- The Instrument for Sustainable School Construction (AGION) sets a minimum guideline value for classrooms of 2 to 2.5 m² per pupil in primary education and 1.8 to 2 m² in secondary education.
- For Belgium: take measures so that the CO 2 concentration in workplaces remains below 900 ppm (limit value since June 2019) or ensure a minimum ventilation flow rate of 40 m³ per hour per person present.
- For the Netherlands: follow the regulations in the Building Decree (2021) or the Environment Act (from 2021). In new buildings, the limit value in school classrooms is 1,000 ppm CO 2 . For existing schools this is 1,400 ppm.
Tip
Use a CO 2 meter to check the ventilation in an indoor space.
More information
- Climate in workspaces (Netherlands)
- Ventilation and COVID-19 | LCI guidelines (RIVM, the Netherlands)
- Homepage - Healthy Indoor - Everything for a healthy indoor climate (Netherlands)
- Regulations for schools (Agency for infrastructure in education, Flanders)
