What is the required ventilation during the use of a room or space?

The requirement for ventilation during the use of a room or space centers on the importance of maintaining indoor air quality and ensuring the health and comfort of occupants. When a room is occupied, it is essential to provide adequate ventilation to remove pollutants, carbon dioxide, excess humidity, and other contaminants produced by the occupants and any activities occurring within that space. This helps to prevent issues such as poor air quality, which can lead to discomfort or health problems for individuals using the room.

In contrast, ventilation when the space is not occupied is not sufficient to ensure a healthy environment, as there may still be residual contaminants that need to be addressed. Ventilation solely during business hours fails to consider that rooms may be used outside of these times and that ongoing ventilation is vital for overall indoor air quality. Lastly, ventilation dependent only on the operation of the HVAC system does not account for areas where natural or mechanical ventilation is also needed even when the HVAC is not actively cooling or heating.

Thus, proper adherence to ventilation requirements emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that spaces are appropriately ventilated during occupancy to maintain safety and comfort.