New legislation for hospitality industry on the way

The importance of a healthy indoor air environment

In our current society, there is a growing awareness for a healthy living environment, both indoors and outdoors. Since the corona pandemic, we know how important good indoor air quality is. Today, this topic is high on the hotel industry's agenda. After all, both employees and hotel guests and visitors expect a comfortable and healthy hotel environment, which can be mapped via CO2 meters. From the end of 2023, new legal rules will apply for this.

The importance of good indoor air quality cannot be underestimated. According to official sources - including the High Health Council of the FPS Health - three per cent of the total disease burden in Europe is believed to be due to the effects of poor indoor air.

Poor air quality can lead to various health problems, such as headaches, fatigue, allergies and even respiratory diseases. This can have a negative impact on guests' well-being and comfort, which can ultimately damage a hotel's reputation. Moreover, poor air quality can lead to reduced productivity and concentration, which is especially problematic for business travellers who just need a productive working environment.

The Welfare Act in our country requires an employer to ensure that the CO2 concentration in (work) premises is below 900 ppm (parts per million), or that a minimum ventilation flow rate of 40 cubic metres per hour per person present is provided. Under certain conditions, these thresholds may be exceeded (1200 ppm or 25 cubic metres per hour per person present). Note that this is an indirect indicator of air quality, and therefore not the same as continuously measuring emissions.

To continuously measure indoor air quality - read: the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air - in hotel rooms, a CO2 meter is a very useful tool. Why is this important? If you do not adequately ventilate a hotel room or an enclosed space, the concentration of CO2 can rise rapidly. This indicates a lack of fresh air supply and an accumulation of other pollutants. Through a CO2 meter, hotel staff monitor air quality and can take action if necessary.

How to choose a good CO2 meter from the rapidly growing market offer? The Care & Health Agency of the Flemish Government provides some criteria that a good CO2 meter should meet:

- Sensor type: always choose an NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) CO2 sensor.

- Display: go for devices with a display on which you can read the measured CO2 value at any time so you can take action quickly. There are also devices that you can access via an app.

- Measuring range: as CO2 values can be high in certain hotel rooms - training rooms or meeting rooms, for example - it is best to choose a CO2 meter with a wide measuring range (up to at least 5000 ppm).

- LED indicator: with a CO2 meter, pay attention not only to a continuous display, but also to a colour LED indicator. This allows you to see at a glance, via a green, orange or red LED light, when the air in a hotel room needs to be refreshed.

- Data logging: with a device with log function, you can read out the measured values afterwards or view them online, allowing you to visualise and interpret these values over a certain period of time using a ventilation diary.

In late 2022, the federal parliament approved a new law around indoor air quality. This law has now been developed into concrete rules, which will come into force in the hospitality, sports, cultural and event sectors from 11 December 2023. 

Specifically, a CO2 meter must be installed in every (catering) establishment larger than 15 square metres and where people are present for more than 15 minutes. If an establishment has a ventilation and/or air purification system, it must display how much fresh air the installation provides, including the maximum number of people.

At the same time, operators in the sectors mentioned above will have to draw up a risk analysis and action plan to improve air quality. For now, this is not an obligation, but from 1 January 2025, operators will have to display or publish an air quality label. In this way, visitors are constantly well informed about air quality and how the air is purified.■