The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (January 30) that the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Objectives under the Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme for Offices and Public Places (the Scheme) will be revised from July 1, 2019.

     An EPD spokesman said that, in revising the IAQ Objectives, the EPD has made reference to the latest IAQ guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has taken into account local circumstances. The IAQ Objectives under the Scheme will be revised as follows: tighten the concentration levels of carbon monoxide, respirable suspended particulates and radon; add new short-term objectives for formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide; add a new parameter of mould; and remove the three physical parameters of room temperature, relative humidity and air movement which are not directly related to IAQ.

     The EPD has been implementing the Scheme since 2003 to encourage property owners and management to adopt good IAQ management practices in their premises. Premises that are used as offices or public places and are served by mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems may join the Scheme. Premises' owners or management who wish to participate in the Scheme have to commission accredited IAQ certificate-issuing bodies to assess whether the IAQ of the premises can meet Excellent Class or Good Class IAQ under the Scheme. Premises participating in the Scheme are required to carry out full certification of all IAQ parameters every five years and for the years in between to carry out re-certification of specified IAQ parameters annually.

     Premises which have joined the Scheme before July 1, 2019 may, during the annual renewal of the IAQ certificate, either continue to carry out the re-certification of specified parameters of the current IAQ Objectives until the end of that 5-year re-certification cycle or adopt the revised IAQ Objectives by carrying out full certification of all IAQ parameters. Premises newly joining the Scheme or which have completed their 5-year re-certification cycle on or after July 1, 2019 shall adopt the revised IAQ Objectives for full certification. To distinguish premises complying with the current or the revised IAQ Objectives, IAQ labels and certificates of different design will be issued for premises certified under the revised IAQ Objectives.

     Information about the Scheme and the revised IAQ Objectives is available in the website of EPD's IAQ Information Centre at www.iaq.gov.hk.

Ends/Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:00

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