Ventilation is designed to remove airborne impurities and bring fresh air into workspaces. Ventilation can also be used to control ambient temperatures, humidity and airflow. This is done by conditioning air as it enters, exits or circulates in the workspace.

Workspaces that are prone to airborne impurities or high temperatures usually require a mechanical ventilation system to ensure adequate airflow and healthy indoor air.

The employer is responsible for preventing employee exposure to harmful impurities in the air, such as dust, smoke, gas or fume. It must also be ensured that chemical agents will not cause poisoning, oxygen deficiency or similar danger. Ventilation and the adequacy of healthy indoor air are especially important in confined spaces such as tanks, tunnels and ships.

In assessing the quality of indoor climate and the sufficiency of ventilation, attention must be paid to the persons occupying the space and other factors causing impurities in the air, such as vehicles, machines and emissions from various processes. Workspaces must be large enough and have enough capacity to provide at least 10 cubic metres of air per worker. No more than 3.5 metres of the capacity can be attributable to the height of the room.

Ventilation system must be serviced regularly

Any mechanical ventilation systems must be kept in working order and cleaned at regular intervals. The filters in the ventilation system must be replaced in accordance with instructions given by the ventilation designer and the equipment manufacturer. Faults in the ventilation system must not put employees’ health at risk. If necessary, the ventilation system must be equipped with a fault monitoring system.

Construction regulations, such as the Ministry of the Environment’s Decree on the indoor climate and ventilation of new buildings (1009/2017), apply to indoor air and ventilation. The Decree covers, for example, design values for room temperatures, indoor air quality and air flows.