FAQ: IAQ Standards, Guidelines and Regulations

Are there standards, guidelines and regulations to ensure healthy indoor air quality in learning settings? 

Many jurisdictions in Canada lack indoor air quality regulations specific to schools and child care settings. Nevertheless, there are legal mechanisms that can be leveraged to address indoor air quality issues in learning settings. These include: occupational health and safety statutes, public health legislation, building codes, municipal bylaws, educational statutes and human rights legislation. Human rights legislation may apply if indoor air quality issues disproportionately affect groups protected under human rights legislation, such as individuals with disabilities or respiratory conditions. Recently, the right to a healthy environment was established as part of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) which may also have implications for learning settings.

Health Canada has developed residential indoor air quality guidelines for specific indoor air contaminants such as radon, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and guidance documents for mould and particulate matter. These resources can be helpful for assessing and guiding action to address indoor air quality in learning settings.

Interested in learning more? Check out this recent report published by CPCHE and the Canadian Environmental Law Association: An Environmental Scan of Indoor Air Quality Support Programs for Schools and Child Care Settings in Canada (2024)