ProTen Services provide editorial on radon for Building Regulations Yearbook 2008

Out of sight... out of mind?

Martin Freeman, Managing Director of ProTen Services Ltd, explains why providing protection from radon gas is not an issue that can be ignored and recommends the ‘best practice' for radon protection in new buildings.

Click here to view this article in PDF format as it appeared in the Building Regulations Yearbook 2008

If radon, the naturally occurring radioactive gas enters a building, it can build to potentially dangerous concentrations. There are approximately 2500 deaths in the UK every year from lung cancer, linked directly to exposure to high concentrations of the gas.

Section C1 of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations 2000 states that "Reasonable precautions shall be taken to avoid danger to health and safety caused by contaminants on or in the ground covered, or to be covered, by the building...".

Section 2.39 of Approved Document C (2004 edition) explains that "...all new buildings...built in areas where there may be elevated radon emissions, may need to incorporate precautions against radon". Section 2.40 continues to inform that "guidance on the areas susceptible to radon" can be found in BRE Report 211 (revised 2007).

These Regulations unfortunately do not appear to provide a definitive ruling as to whether a new building in any given area must have radon protection installed, however ProTen Services advise all specifiers and developers to err on the side of caution.

ProTen Services recommend that a radon barrier be fitted in any new development within a government designated radon Affected Area. As far as practicable, membrane joints should be heat welded, rather than taped, to minimise the risk of leakage. Pre-formed collars or ‘top-hats' should be used around service inlets.

In any area where the Health Protection Agency has predicted that more than 3% of homes will contain high radon levels, provisions for future remedial work should also be made. This involves the creation of a sump under the building's foundations, complete with an extract pipe that leads out of the property.

Radon protection is a specialist area of work, and should therefore only be carried out by trained professionals. A recent study found a staggering 60% of radon membranes installed in new properties had failed to prevent the gas from entering the building, demonstrating that effective design, quality of materials and standard of specialist workmanship are paramount. It is also essential to conduct post-construction testing.

For more information on ProTen Services Ltd, the UK's leading radon experts with over 20 years experience of testing and remediation nationally, please visit http://www.protenservices.co.uk/ or call Head Office on 01225 447960.