EWS | DIGEST IN BRIEF Infectious disease should be in Building Regulations CIBSE updates Covid-19 guidance for winter New information on recirculation, thermal wheels and UV technology CIBSE has launched the fourth version of its Covid-19 Ventilation Guidance. The document reflects the onset of cooler conditions in the UK and includes additional guidance on the use of natural ventilation openings, recirculation and thermal wheels. It says that colder conditions could bring thermal discomfort for occupants, who may block off ventilation and increase the risk of airborne viral transmission. While recommending that recirculation dampers be closed whenever possible, the guide accepts that, in colder weather, this could lead to unsatisfactory temperature conditions and a subsequent decrease in supply air. It says recirculation of air in systems can be used if this is the only way of maintaining adequate levels of outside air to occupied spaces without causing undue occupant thermal discomfort. In naturally ventilated spaces, it warns against closing openings fully. It says that, in colder months, the natural forces that drive air through openings are greater, so they do not need to be opened as wide. It recommends that just opening high-level vents can enable more mixing of outside air with indoor air, creating more comfortable temperatures for those in the occupied zone. There is a new section addressing the potential use of UV and safety considerations. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) a disinfection method that uses shortwavelength ultraviolet C light to kill or inactivate microorganisms could help mitigate the spread of diseases caused by aerosols. The guide says UV disinfection may be a viable solution to reducing levels of active viral material in spaces where it is difficult to provide good ventilation. However, it warns that some UV technologies can be hazardous to health if applied or operated incorrectly. For a summary of the ventilation guide, turn to page 26, and for more information on UV technology applied to buildings, see page 33. The guide is available at www.cibse.org/ coronavirus-covid-19 Covid-19 Achievement Awards created To recognise the work building services professionals and the wider supply chain have undertaken to combat the effects of Covid-19, CIBSE, in association with CIBSE Journal, has created a special awards scheme for 2021. The Covid-19 Achievement Awards will recognise outstanding achievements of individuals, teams, organisations, projects, products or services, and will demonstrate how the sector contributes to combating major challenges and crises. The winners will have responded to a problem or set of circumstances brought about by the pandemic whether in the design and delivery of a project, provision of a service or process, or through a product or creative innovation and/or behaviour. Entrants, or the nominator, will have to submit a short written summary of the work that has been carried out, as well as a video submission. The entry criteria period is 1 March to 13 November 2020, and entries close on 16 November 2020. Winners will be announced at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2021 on 25 February. Visit cibse.org/BPA for information. Building regulations should include measures to mitigate the risk of infectious disease transmission according to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage). A new paper, prepared for Sage by the Environmental and Modelling group, said that there was an opportunity to embed performance standards and enhanced measures in Part F: Ventilation, which is currently under review. Ventilation should be integral to the Covid-19 risk mitigation strategy for all multi-occupant public buildings and workplaces, said the paper (bit.ly/CJNov20News1). It recommended that regularly used multi-occupant spaces with CO2 above 1,500ppm should be prioritised for improvement. Professor Catherine Noakes made OBE Airborne infection specialist Professor Catherine Noakes has been made an OBE for her work on making buildings Covid-secure. Noakes sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and advises ministers on actions to minimise the spread of coronavirus. In the Queens Birthday Honours List, two Balfour Beatty executives were rewarded for their work on emergency Covid-19 wards. Managing director for Scotland and Ireland Hector MacAulay and operations director Duncan Mackay both received MBEs. See page 28 for an interview with Professor Catherine Noakes. Poor ventilation can increase virus risk Office ventilation systems that mix airflows to improve comfort and save energy could be increasing the rate at which the Covid-19 virus spreads, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge. Their findings, published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, show that ventilation systems designed to maintain uniform comfort conditions in an occupied space also disperse airborne contaminants evenly. Insufficient ventilation can lead to high carbon dioxide concentration, which, in turn, could increase the risk of exposure to the virus, said Professor Paul Linden, who led the research. www.cibsejournal.com November 2020 7 CIBSE Nov 2020 pp06-07 News.indd 7 23/10/2020 18:09