Former deputy UK chief medical officer to join BSRIA IAQ briefing

Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE will be among experts taking part in briefing event to be held on 17 November to discuss the consequences of inadequate ventilation on occupant health

BSRIA 2023 Annual Briefing will focus on the significance of addressing indoor air quality in homes and other buildings as a vital public health issue.

The organisation noted that Indoor air quality (IAQ) is susceptible to a number of particulate contaminants such as mould and chemicals released from synthetic fabrics, paints, furnishings, as well as household products. Effective management of these contaminants, as well as the ingress of external pollutants, has been identified by a range of public health specialists as a growing issue for building managers.

To address these issues, BSRIA is hosting its ‘Cleaner Air, Better Tomorrow’ briefing in London later this year that will hear from several leading keynote speakers. These include former UK deputy chief medical officer Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE, now pro Vice-Chancellor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham. He will be joined by Roger Harrabin, the BBC’s environment and energy correspondent to talk about the effects of airborne contaminates on occupants and the role building engineers have to improve air in the built environment.

Prof Van-Tam is an expert on respiratory viruses and pandemics, and has held senior positions in Public Health England, the World Health Organisation, and the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries. He is well-known for his leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Harrabin has reported for the BBC for over 30 years and was founder presenter of the BBC environment programme ‘Costing the Earth’.

The briefing will also include panel discussions intended to debate the latest scientific evidence on air quality and health, technological solutions for improving air quality in buildings and the legislative framework for air quality in the built environment.

BSRIA cited World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis that found that almost 99 per cent of the global population breathes in air that exceeds the WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants.

Public health and environmental campaigners and trade bodies representing the HVAC sector have been working to highlight the importance of effective building design and ventilation to improve indoor air quality and provide healthier homes.

The BSRIA Briefing 2023 will take place 17 November at the London Brewery and will provide an opportunity to learn more about the latest thinking on air quality in the built environment.

More information on the discussion and how to attend can be found here.