healthy homes

Airtech, the condensation, mould and radon specialists, is once again supporting UK Radon Awareness Week by helping raise awareness of the radioactive gas. Run by the UK Radon Association, this year’s UK Radon Awareness Week marks its 10th anniversary with the campaign aiming to raise awareness of the silent health risk that affects homes, schools and businesses across the UK: radon gas. Taking place from 4-10 November, the campaign is emphasising that radon testing is a simple yet crucial step to ensure a healthy home environment. Airtech is therefore advising households, private landlords and employers, to learn about radon and its health effects and to carry out a radon test in homes and workplaces to help protect families and employees.

Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is sharing tips on how to love your lungs on Clean Air Day on Thursday 16 June 2022. Clean Air Day is led by environmental charity Global Action Plan and aims to improve public understanding of air pollution, build awareness of how air pollution affects our health and explain the easy actions we can all take to tackle air pollution, helping protect the environment and our health.

The theme for Clean Air Day this year is that ‘air pollution dirties every organ in your body’. Vent-Axia is therefore reflecting this by sharing tips on how vital it is to love your lungs to stay healthy and aims to raise the issue of how indoor air pollution, as well as outdoor air pollution, can affect our health. Indoor air pollution can affect lung health and is linked to increased risk of pneumonia, COPD and lung cancer. If an asthma sufferer has an allergic reaction to a pollutant in the air, this can also make asthma symptoms worse.

As we drive towards reducing our carbon footprint, the inference to insulate Britain is a topical encounter. However, it should be understood how this status could be met with such a myriad of dwelling periods and styles throughout the United Kingdom.

Similar constructions built in opposing ends of the country can and do, behave differently due to their geographical location and indeed, their orientation. This therefore makes the process of insulating homes a more complex issue such that, without due understanding and individual assessments of each dwelling, we will have to be mindful of Ventilating Britain.

Commencing on Thursday 26th May, Aico will host five conferences, examining the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to create healthier and safer homes.

With the uptake of technology rapidly increasing within the housing sector, these events will explore the benefits of IoT and how it contributes to resident wellbeing, indoor environmental health, sustainable buildings, and the transition to net zero.

Keynote speaker, Professor Tim Sharpe, Head of Architecture at Strathclyde University, will discuss how the push to net zero is one of the greatest and most important challenges faced by society, and why the potential negative effects it can have on indoor environmental health should also be considered.

We recognise the Ombudsman is calling for a fresh attitude to dealing with the prevailing issues and adds moving from a ‘blame’ to ‘responsibility’ culture as a key directive.

The Property MOT® flexible surveying platform answers the call for a proactive response demonstrating change and meaningful support for residents with fact-based resolutions.

The uniform framework has been developed to be undertaken by trained and certified persons via a support based licensed application resulting in the issuance of Certifications for property conditions alongside any pertinent Advisories.

Wednesday 9th June saw the success of the virtual event, ‘What Makes a Healthy Home?’ powered by Aico | HomeLINK. The event aimed to create thought-provoking discussion regarding the current standards and legislation that contribute to creating safe homes for residents and the resulting impact on the social housing sector.

In attendance were close to 300 professionals, thought-leaders and decision-makers from across the industry to hear from keynote speakers, Dr Stephen Battersby, Vice President at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and Dorota Pawlowski, Managing Associate at Trowers and Hamlins LLP. With interactive polls, dedicated question and answer sessions with keynote speakers and networking opportunities, the conference empowered the discussion of prevalent issues within the UK housing sector.

A collaboration between a national trade body and academia has developed a working formula which could transform damp management in homes.

The Property Care Association (PCA) and the University College London Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (UCL IEDE) are carrying out a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to look into the issue of moisture in buildings.