Page 3129 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 August 2008
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Where natural lighting for a sanitary compartment, bathroom, shower room and the like is not available in accordance with this provision, artificial lighting to these rooms can be achieved by either having a minimum of 1 light per 16m2 of floor area or artificial lighting that is in accordance with AS/NZS 1680.
AS/NZS 1680 specifies the recommended illuminance or lighting levels for rooms according to their function and use.
The BCA contains the following performance requirement for ventilation in class one buildings (P2.4.5):
“ a) A space within a building used by occupants must be provided with means of ventilation with outdoor air which will maintain adequate air quality.
b) A mechanical air-handling system installed in a building must control –
i) the circulation of objectionable odours; and
ii) the accumulation of harmful contamination by micro-organisms, pathogens and toxins.
c) Contaminated air must be disposed of in a manner which does not unduly create a nuisance or hazard to people in the building or other property”
The performance requirement can be satisfied by complying with the ‘acceptable construction practice’ set out in Part 3.8.5 of the BCA.
Part 3.8.5 provides that in a free standing dwelling ventilation to a bathroom, laundry or a sanitary compartment must be provided by either a window, a door, an openable skylight or a permanent opening where the aggregate opening size is not less than 5% of the floor area of the room that is required to be ventilated. Generally the window must be open to the exterior of the building.
Natural ventilation to a room may come through a window opening, ventilating door or other device from an adjoining room if –
i) the room to be ventilated is or the adjoining room is not a sanitary compartment; and
ii) the window opening door or other device has a ventilating area of not less than 5% of the floor area of the room to be ventilated; and
iii) the adjoining room has a window, opening, door or other device with a ventilating area not less than 5% of the combined floor areas of both rooms; and
iv) the ventilating areas specified may be reduced as appropriate if direct natural ventilation is provided from another source.
Where natural ventilation cannot be provided, an exhaust fan or other means of mechanical ventilation may be used to ventilate a sanitary compartment, laundry or a bathroom. The contaminated air must either:
i) exhaust to the outside air by way of ducts, or
ii) exhaust into a roof space if it is adequately ventilated by roof vents or where the roof space is covered with tiles without sarking or similar materials that would prevent venting.
A sanitary compartment cannot open directly into a kitchen or pantry unless-
i) access is by an airlock, hallway or other room, or
ii) the room containing the closet pan is provided with mechanical exhaust ventilation.
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