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On 24 November 2003, Afsse received a solicited request from the French Ministries of Health and the Environment to carry out an assessment of the health risks associated with air-conditioning systems, with regard first to health establishments and care homes for elderly people and then to private homes. Two documents are available on the Agency’s website. This request is part of the national prevention plan concerning the effects of heat wave on vulnerable populations after the heat wave of August 2003.

Working method:

A working group was formed in partnership with the CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment), involving professionals, experts and concerned gourvernmental services. It drew up a report detailing a list of recommendations which may apply to all structures that welcome so-called vulnerable populations (very young children, pregnant women, disabled people, people in day hospitals, asthmatics or people with heart disease, people under medical treatment, etc.). However, the situation of people at home having to cope with a heat wave required recommendations to be adapted in terms of prevention and equipment to a much larger and more heterogenous population than those for health establishments or care homes for the elderly.

This report was therefore completed with an information pack on the health impacts of air-conditioning systems in private homes and an FAQ section on Afsset’s French-languauge website. 

 


First of all, the working group considered that the cooling time needed to reduce the risks to health during a heat wave had been estimated empirically as two to three hours a day. Just as empirically, a target temperature value of around 25 or 26°C seemed reasonable.

The working group stressed that air-conditioning is not the first measure to adopt to prevent the health effects of a heat wave. Effective use of windows, doors and shutters as well as the use of naturally cool rooms or areas must be prioritised in all establishments and homes.

To give health establishments and care homes for the elderly the means to cope effectively in a heat wave, two equipment solutions can be implemented.

The first is a system to be integrated into a building during its construction or major renovation works which meets a broader objective than that which involves providing a solution to the problem of extreme temperatures.

The second solution is the adoption of a temporary system which simply produces a cool room to prevent possible risks of a heat wave. This proposal plans for an air-cooling system in one of the establishment’s rooms for example. The residents of the establishment may then be able to spend a few hours each day in this refreshingly cool room.

The report also reminds readers that:

 Air-conditioning should not be considered as a solution to a building’s management or design errors, at an obviously high cost. It is essential, on the one hand, to ensure effective use of doors, windows and shutters by keeping them closed during sunny spells and to aerate rooms at night. On the other hand, naturally cool rooms should be accessible if possible;
 Installation should be left to professionals so as to adapt the size of the system to the building;
 Professional maintenance and surveillance of this system are essential to prevent health problems;
 Elderly people using these systems should avoid heat shocks and their health impacts by adapting their diet, clothing and medications when passing from one room to another;
 Particular attention should also be paid to elderly people living at home by facilitating their access to naturally cool or air-conditioned rooms for a few hours a day.

Recommendations for air-conditioning of an area inside care homes for the elderly, and in private homes form the last part of this document, constituted as a decision-making aid.

The report was put on line for comments in April 2004 and published on 4 June 2004. At the same time, an FAQs section was put on the Agency’s French-language website.

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