In Perth, most of us spend our working days in sealed, air-conditioned buildings – from CBD office towers to corporate headquarters for mining and energy companies.
Perth is also the nerve centre for some of the world’s most significant oil, gas and mining operations, with 24/7 control rooms and remote operations centres that simply cannot afford unplanned downtime.
These spaces are designed to keep out the heat, dust and smoke. But when ventilation and filtration aren’t doing their job, the air inside can quietly accumulate carbon dioxide (CO₂), fine particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and airborne pathogens. The pandemic made it clear that many respiratory infections are spread through the air in poorly ventilated buildings, leading some experts to call it a “pandemic of buildings”.
At the same time, indoor air quality (IAQ) is now recognised as:
- a health and productivity issue for workers, and
- a critical accessibility issue for the one in two Australians living with at least one chronic health condition.
For Perth businesses, that makes IAQ testing more than a nice-to-have – it’s part of providing a safe, modern workplace.
Why IAQ matters in Perth’s sealed, air-conditioned offices
Perth’s hot, dry climate means many commercial buildings are designed to be highly sealed and heavily reliant on mechanical cooling. That can create a few predictable IAQ challenges:
- High CO₂ from recirculated air when fresh air rates don’t match occupancy
- Buildup of indoor pollutants, including VOCs from fit-outs, furnishings and cleaning products
- Temperature and humidity swings, affecting comfort and perceived air quality
Most of us spend over 90% of our time indoors, and no one is checking what’s in the air unless an IAQ assessment is specifically commissioned. In many workplaces and public spaces, nobody measures whether the fresh air supplied is actually adequate for the number of people in the room, or whether occupants’ emissions are being removed quickly enough.
Add in the reality that airborne pathogens and pollutants can be especially risky for people with underlying conditions, and IAQ becomes a core part of making Perth workplaces genuinely inclusive – not just compliant.
Control rooms and 24/7 operations in Perth’s resources sector
Perth doesn’t just host typical offices – it also houses mission-critical control rooms that keep Australia’s resources sector running.
Major operators such as Woodside, Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue manage remote mines, trucks, trains and offshore platforms from highly specialised operations centres in Perth. These rooms are staffed 24/7, 365 days a year, with teams making real-time decisions that directly affect production, safety and national exports.
In these environments, indoor air quality becomes a business continuity issue as much as a health and comfort issue. During COVID, maintaining safe, healthy air in control rooms and operations “bunkers” was vital to:
- keep critical staff on site and available
- reduce the risk of simultaneous illness across key teams
- avoid costly disruptions to mining, transport and export operations.
Because these spaces are highly sealed, densely occupied and full of heat-generating equipment, they are especially prone to:
- elevated CO₂ and stuffiness if ventilation is not well managed
- localised hot spots and comfort issues that affect alertness
- recirculation of air if filtration and fresh air rates aren’t tuned for actual occupancy.
Targeted IAQ testing in control rooms and other 24/7 spaces allows operators to:
- verify that ventilation and filtration are performing as intended
- identify low-cost adjustments that improve comfort and reduce health risks
- demonstrate due diligence around WHS and business continuity for critical operations.
Bushfire smoke, dust and PM2.5: Perth’s outdoor air coming inside
Perth also faces seasonal challenges from:
- Bushfire smoke drifting into the metropolitan area
- Dust and fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from regional events and local sources
Even in well-sealed buildings, outdoor air still enters via:
- mechanical ventilation systems
- doorways and loading docks
- car parks and lift lobbies
Without effective filtration and monitoring, smoke and fine particles can infiltrate indoor spaces and linger, increasing the burden on people with asthma, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
IAQ testing during and after smoke events helps building owners understand:
- how much PM2.5/PM10 is entering the building
- how well current filters and systems are performing
- what upgrades (e.g. better filter grades, HEPA air cleaners in critical areas) are justified.
IAQ as an accessibility and WHS issue in Perth workplaces
IAQ is no longer just a comfort issue – it’s increasingly recognised as an accessibility and inclusion issue. The Safer Air Project highlights that poor indoor air reduces accessibility for people living with chronic conditions by making everyday spaces risky for them to enter.
Key points for Perth employers and building owners:
- 1 in 2 Australians has at least one chronic health condition, including conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Existing workplace health and safety laws already require employers to prevent serious harm to employees, which includes controlling infection risks and harmful exposures where reasonably practicable.
- Employers are being encouraged to adopt and demonstrate compliance with IAQ performance standards for all business premises.
For Perth organisations, commissioning regular IAQ testing is a practical way to show you are taking these obligations seriously – and to identify low-cost improvements that benefit everyone.
What indoor air quality testing looks like in a Perth office building
At QED Environmental Services, IAQ testing is designed to be thorough, practical and clearly tied to actions. A typical IAQ assessment for a Perth CBD or suburban office might include:
1. Scoping and desktop review
- Understand the building: age, HVAC design, tenancy layout, known issues (e.g. hot/cold spots, odours, complaints).
- Identify higher-risk areas: meeting rooms, open-plan work floors, end-of-trip facilities, call centres, breakout spaces.
2. Site inspection
- Visual inspection of air handling units, outside air intakes, filters and return air paths
- Check for obvious issues (blocked vents, water damage, visible mould, short-circuiting of supply and return air).
3. Baseline IAQ monitoring
We typically measure a mix of:
- CO₂ – an indicator of ventilation effectiveness and occupancy load
- Temperature and relative humidity – comfort and mould risk
- Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) – especially relevant for bushfire smoke and dust
- Total VOCs and sometimes specific compounds (e.g. formaldehyde)
- Carbon monoxide and other gases where relevant (e.g. car park interfaces)
These can be captured as:
- spot measurements (one-off checks in key locations), and/or
- continuous logging over days or weeks to capture typical use, peaks and special events.
Monitoring and displaying IAQ metrics such as CO₂ and particulate levels helps “make the invisible visible” and raises awareness of the role of indoor air in health.
4. Diagnostic sampling (as needed)
If specific concerns exist (e.g. persistent odours, suspected mould, occupant symptoms):
- targeted sampling for microbial contamination
- more detailed VOC profiling
- airflow and pressure mapping to understand where air is coming from and going to.
5. Interpretation against guidelines and emerging IAQ standards
We interpret results against:
- relevant Australian and international guidelines, and
- emerging IAQ performance concepts that focus on reducing infection risk, improving ventilation and managing PM2.5 and other pollutants.
6. Clear, prioritised recommendations
You receive a practical report, not just a data dump. Recommendations are usually grouped as:
- Quick wins – low-cost changes (scheduling, setpoints, opening hours for fresh air, minor maintenance)
- Targeted upgrades – filter upgrades, local HEPA/UVGI units in high-risk spaces, control strategy optimisation
- Longer-term investments – system upgrades, redesign of ventilation to meet future IAQ performance standards.
From data to action: practical IAQ improvements for Perth buildings
The good news: we already have the tools we need to improve indoor air. Australia’s Chief Scientist and the Safer Air Project highlight four main types of IAQ strategies that can be combined to reduce airborne disease transmission:
- Air filtration – e.g. upgrading HVAC filters and using HEPA air cleaners in selected areas
- Air disinfection – e.g. UVGI (germicidal UV) in ducts or upper-room air
- Dilution with cleaner air – increasing outdoor air via natural and mechanical ventilation
- Controlling the dispersion of contaminated air – using pressure relationships and airflow direction.
In a Perth context, the challenge is often balancing:
- Cool, comfortable spaces with manageable energy use, and
- Sufficient ventilation and filtration to keep pollutants and pathogens under control.
Careful IAQ testing allows building managers to:
- pinpoint exactly where higher ventilation rates are needed
- target filtration and air cleaning where they deliver the most benefit
- justify investments with data rather than guesswork.
Business and ESG benefits: beyond “tick-the-box” compliance
Improving IAQ does more than reduce complaints about “stuffy meeting rooms”.
Evidence summarised in the Safer Air Project report shows that businesses that invest in better IAQ can realise:
- improved cognitive functioning and decision-making
- higher productivity and creativity
- reduced sickness absence and associated costs
- greater employee satisfaction and presence in the office.
Investing in safer indoor air can deliver both social returns (accessibility and inclusion) and financial returns for employers and asset owners.
For owners of Perth office and industrial portfolios, robust IAQ testing and monitoring also supports:
- stronger ESG narratives for investors
- alignment with evolving expectations around health, wellbeing and indoor environments in frameworks like GRESB, which are progressively “raising the bar” on real-world sustainability performance.
How QED can help with indoor air quality testing in Perth
QED works with building owners, facility managers and employers across Perth and Western Australia to:
- Benchmark indoor air quality in offices, government tenancies and commercial buildings
- Design and implement IAQ monitoring programs that are practical for real-world operations
- Translate technical data into clear actions for maintenance teams, executives and occupants
- Support ESG and accessibility goals by evidencing safer, healthier indoor environments.
Whether you manage a single Perth CBD office, a portfolio of suburban workplaces or a corporate headquarters for a resources business, we can tailor an IAQ assessment to your risks, budget and timelines.
Ready to understand the air your people are breathing?
If you’d like to:
- establish a baseline for indoor air quality in your Perth buildings
- respond to staff concerns about ventilation, comfort or infection risk
- link IAQ to your WHS, accessibility or ESG commitments
Get in touch with QED to discuss indoor air quality testing in Perth and how we can help you turn data into healthier, more inclusive workplaces.