From now on, every residential care facility must have a ventilation plan to ensure that the maximum carbon dioxide concentrations are not exceeded, the Ministry of Health said in a press release on Friday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that adequate ventilation and ventilation can reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.
So the accreditation requirements for residential care now include that they must keep CO2 concentrations in their indoor spaces low and must also monitor this. “Especially in residential care, where many vulnerable people live together, adequate ventilation is important,” she added.
The ventilation plan should include procedures for performing carbon dioxide checks, maintaining the ventilation system, and procedures to ensure maximum carbon dioxide concentrations. According to the Department of Care, residential care facilities should aim for a concentration in living areas of no more than 900 parts per million (ppm). The concentration of carbon dioxide should certainly not exceed 1,200 ppm.
“A low CO2 concentration is an indication of adequate ventilation,” the ministry says. Every residential care facility must also prepare a ventilation report every two years, which includes the results of CO2 tests, updates to the ventilation system and monitoring of improvement points. With the new recognition requirements, the Health Care Inspectorate can also check whether residential care facilities pay sufficient attention to ventilation and air quality.
The outgoing Flemish Minister for Care Hilde Crevits (CD&V) stresses that the corona pandemic has taught us that good ventilation is important for residential care centres and that knowledge about this can still be improved. “To support our residential care centres in this regard, we have developed various tools since the pandemic, such as a ventilation quality guide with tips and recommendations, a concrete step-by-step plan for a ventilation plan and free ventilation audits with specially designed recommendations,” says Crevits.
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