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• Indoor air quality describes how inside air can affect a person's health, comfort, and ability to work. It can include but not limited to temperature, humidity, mold, bacteria, poor ventilation, or exposure to other chemicals. Indoor air pollution has received little attention in the past compared with air pollution in the outdoor environment. It has now become a matter of increasing public concern, prompted partly by the emergence of new indoor air pollutants, by the isolation of the indoor environment from the natural outdoor environment in well-sealed office buildings, and by the investigation of so-called Sick Building Syndrome.

 

• Poor indoor air quality can lead to discomfort, ill health, and, in the workplace, absenteeism and lower productivity. Good indoor air quality safeguards the health of the building occupants and contributes to their comfort and well-being. [1] Well-established, serious health impacts resulting from poor IAQ include Legionnaires’ Disease, lung cancer from radon exposure, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. More widespread health impacts include increase allergy and asthma from exposure to indoor pollutants (particularly those associated with building dampness and mold), colds and others infectious disease that are transmitted through the air, and “sick building syndrome” symptoms due to elevated indoor pollutant levels well as other indoor environmental conditions. These more widespread impacts have the potential to affects large numbers of building occupant and are associated with significant cost due to health-care expenses, sick leave and lost productivity. ​

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• In 2010, the Department has introduced the Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010 to increase the compliance of designated workplaces. Activities regarding the issues of indoor air quality involve the investigation of complaints from workers. The procedure of handling any complaints can be found in the Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010. Investigation usually involves five main activities, which are the preliminary site visit, measuring the level of contaminant in the area, data analysis, discussions with employers and the report writing.