In work rooms, the content of dust, bacteria and fungi in the supply air must not exceed that of the outdoor air on site. Therefore, operators of ventilation or air conditioning systems are obliged to carry out regular inspections, maintenance and, if necessary, cleaning and disinfection.
According to DEKRA experts, ventilation systems that are not regularly maintained or cleaned represent an acute health hazard. Delayed filter changes, dirty air ducts or humidifiers contaminated with germs favour the growth of dangerous germs which can cause life-threatening lung diseases in humans. Cleanliness is occupational safety!
Contaminated air duct systems in the supply and exhaust air area of an HVAC system also represent an additional potential risk from a fire protection point of view. Especially in production plants, exhaust air ducts are often found with an enormous, highly flammable dust load.
Furthermore, dirty air duct systems lead to high flow resistance and have a negative influence on the economic efficiency of the plants. In summary, the following problems arise: Polluted indoor air, fire hazard and increased energy costs. The requirements for air hygiene and indoor air quality are laid down in the new guideline VDI 6022, which prescribes the current state of the art for HVAC systems. According to § 4 No. 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, this must be taken into account when operating air conditioning systems and is therefore legally binding.
Strong contamination must therefore be avoided from the outset or eliminated within the set time limits, defective parts must be replaced, filters must be replaced and disinfection measures must be initiated.