Indoor Air Quality as a Measure of Success for Business Owners
Healthy employees are productive ones.
- By Tom Burgess, M. Elaine Dasti
- Sep 01, 2022
As we continue to move toward what we hope will be a post-pandemic world, there remains a heightened responsibility for business owners to protect their people from Covid-19 as well as providing a workplace prepared for potential future outbreaks.
We are in an increasingly hybrid world; some companies have adopted an all-remote culture while others are giving employees an opportunity to decide whether they work most effectively in an office, at home or both. While some are just now returning to offices, or have had several attempts to reopen, a significant amount of the population never left the workplace. This is particularly true for those in professions that can’t be done from home—hospital employees, factory workers and so on. Not only must we make considerations for the health of these workers but also for their peace of mind. For each environment, specific considerations must be addressed.
Indoor air quality has become increasingly important for both the businesses with staff returning to the workplace, and those that have been working on-site throughout the pandemic. Prevention of disease transmission has become an important criterion in assessing HVAC system and air quality. Before the pandemic this was not necessarily a key design consideration outside of medical facilities, and many existing HVAC systems may not meet or be able to meet newer guidelines for important factors like higher efficiency filters.
Assessing and improving existing HVAC systems can benefit from a combination of industrial hygiene and mechanical engineering expertise. HVAC systems serving densely occupied spaces are of critical importance since cross-contamination is more likely to occur in places where people assemble, such as conference rooms. In accordance with guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), we can determine the ideal amount of ventilation required for a given space based on use and occupancy. We can then test the quantity of outdoor airflow going to the equipment to confirm that it meets ASHRAE Standard 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.
When working with building owners to improve indoor air quality, there are several questions that need to be answered.
Which spaces are the highest priority? Different public spaces require different approaches to air purification. If the configuration of the room changes throughout the day, considerations must be made to account for that. Business owners should prepare to give as much detail as possible about their day-to-day activities when consulting with air purification professionals.
This article originally appeared in the June 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.