Ventilation and air conditioning in the workplace

You can use local air cleaning and filtration units to reduce airborne transmission of aerosols where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation.

These units are not a substitute for ventilation. You should prioritise any areas identified as poorly ventilated for improvement in other ways before you think about using an air cleaning device.

If you decide to use an air cleaning unit, the most suitable types to use are:

• high-efficiency filters
• ultraviolet-based devices

Any unit should be appropriate for the size of the area it’s used in to ensure it works in the way it’s intended to.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors are not suitable for use in areas that rely on air cleaning units. This is because filtration units remove contaminants (such as coronavirus) from the air but do not remove CO2.