09 September 2019 Prevalence of CO2 from disused mineral mines and the implications for residential buildings: research

During April 2014, a number of cases of ill health were reported to be affecting some residents in the former mining area of Gorebridge, Midlothian. An Incident Management Team (IMT) was set up by NHS Lothian and a report compiled which produced wide ranging recommendations, some of which related to the Building Standards Division within Scottish Government.RSKW were commissioned, in September 2018, to undertake fact finding research to investigate the prevalence of CO2 from disused mineral mines and implications for residential buildings.
The Report can be accessed here - Prevalence of CO2 from disused mineral mines and the implications for residential buildings: research
The aims of the research project were the following:
• Identify organisations who have produced guidance on mine gas mitigation;
• Build-up an inventory of similar events in Scotland; and
• Explore the building standards related issues in the Gorebridge IMT report.
 
The issues explored, as part of a process of stakeholder engagement and consultation with experts, included eight building standards related recommendations in the Gorebridge IMT report:
• The risk assessment process
• Mitigation measures
• Construction techniques
• Energy efficiency measures/airtightness
• Consideration of mandatory mine gas mitigation in selected areas
• Retrofitting of mitigation measures to existing properties