Code for indoor air quality out by end of the month

A code for indoor air quality for workplaces will be launched at the end of the month to promote a healthy environment for workers.
The code would be introduced on a trial basis for two years to enable the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) to gauge the level of compliance by employers.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said during that period, DOSH would carry out periodic checks on offices and advise employers accordingly if the air quality in their workplace fell below the standard set by the code.
After the end of the trial run, he said, his ministry would decide if it should make it compulsory for all for employers to comply with the code.
“We hope employers will comply with the code voluntarily as that is the accepted international practice.
“It must also be pointed out that this code is not meant to ban smoking in the office.
“What is important is that, proper ventilation is provided to ensure that the smoke level is within what is acceptable,” he told reporters after chairing his ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting yesterday.
The code, among other things, specifies that harmful gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) and other particulates be kept at a certain acceptable level.
According to a source, the code on indoor air quality was drafted following a decision last year by the ministry,
The code states that, among others, the CO2 level in a workplace should be between 250 and 1,000 ppm (parts per million), reports SIM LEOI LEOI.
It is believed that CO2 levels above 1,000 ppm can cause headaches. A burning cigarette emits around 14,000 ppm of CO.
The source said the guidelines were based on those of the US Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering.
The code would also list out equipment recognised by the Occupational Safety and Health Department, for companies to install in their offices to measure air quality, the source added.
Source