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Indoor air quality assessment
A walk-through and measurement record for indoor air quality (IAQ) in offices, schools and healthcare buildings. Set your own targets first and say where they come from. Record what occupants report by area, without names or medical judgements, then check the ventilation: outdoor air intakes, filters, drain pans, dampers, grilles and extract. Each room becomes a space with its CO2, temperature, humidity, PM2.5, VOC and carbon monoxide readings, and the form works out a pass or fail against your targets. List sources you find, such as condensation, mould, chemicals or printers, and finish with recommendations, owners and due dates. For damp or mould use the damp and mould inspection form or the mold inspection checklist, and for the plant itself the HVAC maintenance checklist.
For facilities managers, school business and site managers, estates officers and health and safety advisers who need to look into stuffy rooms or complaints and keep a dated record with readings and photos.
Notes for the UK (Workplace Regulations 1992, regulation 6, HSE ventilation guidance and Approved Document F) and the US (EPA and NIOSH Building Air Quality guide, EPA IAQ Tools for Schools). The targets are always your own.
- Your own targets for CO2, temperature, humidity, PM2.5, VOCs and carbon monoxide, with where each comes from
- Complaints recorded by area: what people report and when, with no names or medical judgements
- Eleven ventilation and HVAC checks, from outdoor air intakes and filters to drain pans and running hours
- Each room as a space with its readings and a calculated pass or fail against your targets
- Sources found, linked to follow-up, and recommendations with priority, owner and due date
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What is an indoor air quality assessment?
It is useful when every reading has a context: how many people were in the room, how it was ventilated, when the readings were taken, and the target it was compared with and where that target came from. A single snapshot with no context tells you very little.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 27 October 2026 against HSE, Ventilation in the workplace: using CO2 monitors, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 6, ventilation, Approved Document F: ventilation, Volume 2 buildings other than dwellings (GOV.UK), US EPA, Building Air Quality: a guide for building owners and facility managers (with NIOSH) and US EPA, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools.
How to carry out an indoor air quality assessment
Read the monitor maker's instructions first, and plan readings for when the rooms are in normal use.
Set your targets
Enter the CO2, temperature and humidity figures you are working to, and any for PM2.5, VOCs or CO, and say where each comes from.
Take an outdoor reading
Record outdoor CO2, temperature and humidity, near the outdoor air intake if there is one, so you have something to compare with.
Record complaints and check the ventilation
Note what people report in each area, then walk the intakes, filters, drain pans, dampers, grilles and extract fans.
Measure room by room
Place the monitor at head height, away from windows, doors and supply grilles and more than 50 cm from people. Record the people present and how the room was ventilated.
Record sources and recommendations
Photograph condensation, mould, chemicals or equipment that could affect the air, then give each recommendation an owner, a priority and a date.
What makes an indoor air quality assessment useful
CO2 readings, people present and ventilation during the readings
Class 4, 30 people, windows and trickle vents shut, monitor logging 08:50 to 15:10 on a shelf at head height away from the door. CO2 average 1720 ppm, highest 2350 ppm just before lunch, fell to 900 ppm while the room was empty. Outdoor reading 420 ppm by the hall air intake.
Fictional example. Record the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job.
A common recording mistake
Taking one reading at 09:05 in an empty room, or with the monitor on the teacher's desk next to people, and recording the room as fine.
What happens next
Agree the changes with the people using the rooms, give each one an owner and a date, and measure again over several days once they are in place.
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Every question in the indoor air quality assessment template
An indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment for offices, schools and healthcare buildings: why it was done, the meter used and outdoor readings, your own targets and where they come from, complaints reported by area (no names, no medical judgement), ventilation and HVAC checks (outdoor air intakes, filters, drain pans, dampers, grilles, extract, hours of running), measurements by area as spaces (CO2, temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5, VOCs and carbon monoxide) with a pass or fail against your targets, sources found (moisture, mould, chemicals, printers, vehicle exhaust and more), and recommendations with priority, owner and due date, with two signatures. 7 sections and 121 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Building address: the site address, from the space or the project
- Client or building owner: the project's customer
Assessment details
- ProjectShort answer
Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.
Fills in from the project name - Building addressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Client or building ownerShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Location (GPS)Short answer
- Assessment date*Date
- Assessed by*Short answer
- Type of building*Choose one
- Office
- School or college
- Healthcare
- Care home
- Retail
- Factory or warehouse
- Other
- CountryChoose one
Sets which short note you see. It does not change the questions.
- UK (England, Scotland, Wales)
- US
- Other country
- Why is this assessment being done?*Tick all that apply
- Routine check
- Complaints from occupants
- After building work or a change of use
- After a change to the ventilation or heating
- Follow-up to an earlier assessment
- Other
- Anything else about whyNotes
For example who raised the concern and when.
- Areas coveredShort answer
For example ground floor classrooms 1 to 6, hall and ICT suite.
- Monitor or meter used (make and model)Short answer
- Is the CO2 monitor a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) type?Yes or No
- Calibration or last zero checkShort answer
As the maker's instructions say. Write the date or "not known".
- Temperature unitChoose one
- °C
- °F
- Weather on siteAnswer
- CheckThis is a walk-through and spot-measurement record. It compares readings with targets you set. It is not a medical assessment, a certificate or a full occupational hygiene survey.
- GuidanceUK. Employers must make sure every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air, and ventilation plant must warn of a failure where that is needed for health or safety (Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 6). HSE says CO2 monitors can help find poorly ventilated areas, and that CO2 readings are a broad guide to ventilation, not proof of a safe level.Shown when “Country” is “UK (England, Scotland, Wales)”
- GuidanceUS. EPA and NIOSH's Building Air Quality guide sets out how to look into indoor air problems: a walk-through, occupant complaints, the HVAC system, pollutant pathways and sources. EPA's IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit gives schools a practical plan using in-house staff. This form follows the same walk-through approach.Shown when “Country” is “US”
- Where the outdoor reading was takenShort answer
Near the outdoor air intake if there is one.
- Outdoor CO2 (ppm)Number
- Outdoor temperatureNumber
- Outdoor relative humidity (%)Number
Your targets
- GuidanceSet your own targets and say where each one comes from. For CO2, HSE says levels consistently higher than 1500 ppm in an occupied room indicate poor ventilation. Approved Document F Volume 2 (England) says a consistent value below 800 ppm is likely to indicate a well ventilated space. EPA's Building Air Quality guide (1991) says peak CO2 above 1000 ppm in the breathing zone indicates ventilation problems. This form sets no figure for temperature, humidity, PM2.5, VOCs or carbon monoxide: use the figure your organisation or adviser has chosen, or leave it blank.
- CO2 target: no higher than (ppm)Number
- Temperature target: lowestNumber
- Temperature target: highestNumber
- Relative humidity target: lowest (%)Number
- Relative humidity target: highest (%)Number
- PM2.5 target: no higher than (µg/m³)Number
- VOC target: no higher thanNumber
In the unit below.
- VOC unitChoose one
- ppb
- µg/m³
- mg/m³
- Meter index (no unit)
- Carbon monoxide target: no higher than (ppm)Number
- Where your targets come from*Notes
For example HSE ventilation guidance for CO2, your own comfort range for temperature.
Complaints reported
- CheckRecord what people report, by area. Do not write names or health details here, and do not make medical judgements. Anyone who feels unwell should speak to their doctor or occupational health.
- Have occupants reported problems?*Yes or No
- Complaints by areaRepeat for each area. Each one asks:Shown when “Have occupants reported problems?” is Yes
- Area*Short answer
- People reportingNumber
- What people report*Tick all that apply
- Stuffy or stale air
- Too hot
- Too cold
- Draughts
- Too dry
- Too humid or condensation
- Odours
- Dust
- Headaches
- Eye, nose or throat irritation
- Tiredness or poor concentration
- Other
- OtherShort answerShown when “What people report” includes “Other”
- When it happensChoose one
- All the time
- Mornings
- Afternoons
- When the room is full
- When windows are shut
- Certain weather
- Not known
- Better away from the building?Yes or No
- What was saidNotes
In the person's own words. No names or health details.
- Areas with complaintsWorked out by the formShown when “Have occupants reported problems?” is Yes
Ventilation and HVAC checks
- How the areas are ventilated*Tick all that apply
- Natural: windows, trickle vents or grilles
- Mechanical supply and extract
- Mechanical extract only
- Fan coil or split units
- Air cleaning units
- Not known
- GuidanceThese are walk-through checks. For a full service or inspection of the plant, use an HVAC inspection or maintenance form as well.
- Outdoor air intakes clearChoose one
No blockage, bird screen clear, no bins, idling vehicles, loading bay, flue or exhaust close by.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Filters in place, fitted well and not overdueChoose one
Write the type and date last changed below.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Condensate drain pans clean and drainingChoose one
No standing water, slime, visible growth or odour.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Outdoor air dampers open to their set minimum and moving freelyChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Supply and extract grilles open and not blockedChoose one
Furniture, displays or stored items in front of grilles count as blocked.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Extract fans working in toilets, kitchens and copier or print roomsChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Ventilation runs while the building is in useChoose one
Time clock or building management settings match the hours of use.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Windows and trickle vents can be openedChoose one
Not painted shut, broken, or blocked by furniture.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Plant room clean and dry, nothing stored in itChoose one
No refuse, chemicals or stock.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Plant failure warning works, where fittedChoose one
An alarm or indicator that shows when the ventilation plant has failed.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Maintenance records available for the ventilation plantChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotesShown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Filter type and date last changedShort answer
From the label on the filter or the maintenance record.
- Air handling unit or fan coil data plateScan a label: unit reference, make and model, serial number, airflow
Optional. Scan the data plate or label to capture the numbers.
- Photos of the plant, intakes or grillesPhotos
- Ventilation checks needing actionWorked out by the form
- Not checkedWorked out by the form
Measurements by area
- GuidancePlace the CO2 monitor at head height, away from windows, doors and air supply openings, and more than 50 cm from people. A single snapshot reading can mislead: take readings through the day while the room is in use, and note the number of people and the ventilation at the time (HSE). Take an outdoor reading for comparison, near the outdoor air intake if there is one (EPA). CO2 monitors are of little use in rooms with air cleaning units or processes that give off CO2.
- Areas measuredRepeat for each area. Each one asks:
- Area or room*Short answer
- TypeChoose one
- Classroom
- Office
- Meeting room
- Hall or large space
- Ward or clinic room
- Waiting area
- Kitchen or staff room
- Other
- People in the room during the readingsNumber
- Ventilation during the readingsChoose one
- Windows and vents shut
- Some windows or vents open
- Windows open wide
- Mechanical ventilation running
- Mechanical ventilation off
- Mixed
- Monitoring periodShort answer
For example 08:50 to 15:10, or a single reading at 10:30.
- CO2 average while occupied (ppm)Number
If the monitor logs readings. Leave blank if not.
- CO2 highest reading (ppm)Number
- TemperatureNumber
In the unit chosen on page 1.
- Relative humidity (%)Number
- PM2.5 (µg/m³)Number
- VOCsNumber
In the unit on page 2.
- Carbon monoxide (ppm)Number
- a_co2_usedWorked out by the form
- f_co2Worked out by the form
- f_tempWorked out by the form
- f_rhWorked out by the form
- f_pmWorked out by the form
- f_vocWorked out by the form
- f_coWorked out by the form
- Readings outside your targetsWorked out by the form
- ResultWorked out by the form
- Seen in this areaTick all that apply
- Condensation on windows
- Damp patches or staining
- Visible mould
- Odours
- Dust on surfaces or grilles
- Grilles or vents blocked
- Overcrowded for the room
- Nothing of note
- NotesNotes
For example what changed the readings: windows opened at break, PE in the hall.
- PhotosPhotos
The monitor position, windows and vents, anything seen.
- Areas measuredWorked out by the form
- Areas outside your targetsWorked out by the form
- Of which above your CO2 targetWorked out by the form
- Walk-round filmWalk Cam video with voice-to-text
Optional. Film a guided walk-round on the SiteSurvey app.
Sources found
- Were any possible sources of poor air quality found?*Yes or No
- SourcesRepeat for each source. Each one asks:Shown when “Were any possible sources of poor air quality found?” is Yes
- Source*Choose one
- Moisture, leak or condensation
- Visible mould
- Chemicals or cleaning products
- Printers, copiers or laminators
- Vehicle exhaust or loading bay
- Combustion appliance or flue
- Building work or dust
- Drains or waste odour
- Smoking or vaping
- Other
- WhereShort answer
- What was found*Notes
- Could it explain complaints in that area?Yes or No
- Follow-up*Choose one
- Damp and mould inspection
- HVAC service or repair
- Remove, store or move the source
- Specialist survey
- Monitor and measure again
- No action needed
- PhotosPhotos
- CheckDamp or mould found. Record it in detail with a damp and mould inspection (UK) or mold inspection checklist (US).Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Sources foundWorked out by the formShown when “Were any possible sources of poor air quality found?” is Yes
- Sources needing actionWorked out by the formShown when “Were any possible sources of poor air quality found?” is Yes
Recommendations and sign-off
- Findings needing actionWorked out by the form
Ventilation checks needing action, areas outside your targets and sources needing action.
- ResultWorked out by the form
- RecommendationsRepeat for each recommendation. Each one asks:
- Recommendation*Notes
- Area or plantShort answer
- PriorityChoose one
- Urgent: today
- Within a week
- Within a month
- At the next planned maintenance
- Who will do it*Short answer
- Due byDate
- Status*Choose one
- Open
- In progress
- Done, checked
- Photo when donePhotosShown when “Status” is “Done, checked”
- Actions still openWorked out by the form
- Decision*Choose one
- No action needed: keep to routine checks
- Actions needed: measure again once they are done
- Refer to a specialist, such as an occupational hygienist or HVAC engineer
- Date to measure againDate
- Summary for the clientNotes
- Assessor nameShort answer
- Assessor signature*Signature
- Building or site manager nameShort answer
- Building or site manager signatureSignature
See it filled in
A completed indoor air quality assessment report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Indoor air quality assessment FAQs
What should an indoor air quality assessment include?
EPA and NIOSH's Building Air Quality guide describes investigating indoor air problems through an initial walk-through, information about occupant complaints, the HVAC system, pollutant pathways and pollutant sources, and air sampling where it helps. The form follows that order: complaints by area, ventilation and HVAC checks, readings room by room, sources found and recommendations.
Source: US EPA, Building Air Quality: a guide for building owners and facility managers (with NIOSH).
What CO2 level shows poor ventilation?
HSE says CO2 levels consistently higher than 1500 ppm in an occupied room indicate poor ventilation and you should act to improve it. Approved Document F Volume 2 says a consistent indoor level below 800 ppm is likely to show a well ventilated space. Both say CO2 is a broad guide to ventilation, not a safe threshold. The form uses whatever CO2 target you enter.
Sources: HSE, Ventilation in the workplace: using CO2 monitors and Approved Document F: ventilation, Volume 2 buildings other than dwellings (GOV.UK).
Is there a legal duty to provide good indoor air?
In Great Britain, employers must make sure every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air, and ventilation plant must warn of a failure where that is needed for health or safety (Workplace Regulations 1992, regulation 6). In England, Approved Document F says occupiable rooms in new offices, other than very small or very large rooms, should have a means of monitoring indoor air quality, such as CO2 monitors. In the US, EPA's Building Air Quality guide and IAQ Tools for Schools give practical guidance; check your state and local rules.
Sources: Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 6, ventilation, HSE, Ventilation in the workplace: overview, Approved Document F: ventilation, Volume 2 buildings other than dwellings (GOV.UK) and US EPA, Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools.
Where should the CO2 monitor go?
HSE advises head height, away from windows, doors and air supply openings, and more than 50 cm from people, because breath can give a misleadingly high reading. Single snapshot readings can mislead, so take several while the room is in use and record the number of people and the ventilation at the time. The form has a field for each of these.
Source: HSE, Ventilation in the workplace: using CO2 monitors.
Does the form set limits for temperature, humidity or particles?
No. You enter your own targets for temperature, humidity, PM2.5, VOCs and carbon monoxide, and say where they come from, or leave them blank. The form then marks each room as a pass or fail against the targets you set. It does not decide what a safe level is.
What does the finished report look like?
A PDF with your targets, the complaints by area, the ventilation checks with photos, each room's readings and result, the sources found and every recommendation with its priority, owner, due date and status, signed by the assessor and the building manager. You can share it as a link. SiteSurvey does not send reminders for due dates.
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An HVAC installation inspection for a new or replaced system before handover: each unit by location with its data plate, a check against the design and submittals, clearances, condensate, refrigerant lines, isolation and flue, then ductwork, dampers and controls, start-up readings against the maker's or designer's values, handover documents, actions and sign-off.
Room by room damp and mould inspection with causes, HHSRS hazard check, photos and remedial actions. Built for Awaab's Law timescales.
A US visual mold inspection of a home or building: the outside, plumbing and HVAC checks EPA lists for moisture control, then each room with visible growth measured with a tape or from a photo and its EPA size category, moisture sources, moisture meter readings against a dry reference, humidity, odor and exhaust fans, materials affected and photos, whether sampling was done, EPA-based recommendations, actions and sign-off.
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