4 Low Tech Solutions to Improve Air Quality in a Workplace

In 2016, a World Health Organisation report [1, 2] revealed that 92% of the world’s population is breathing sub-standard air.

While a YouGov survey, commissioned by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) [3], reported that almost 70% of office workers believed poor air quality in their place of work was having a negative effect on their day-to-day productivity and well-being. In addition to this, a third of office workers were concerned that poor indoor air quality could have been having a negative effect on their health.

The same study discovered a host of other results:

68% of office workers experience lapses in concentration on a monthly or more frequent basis
Over two thirds (67%) of recipients reported suffering from fatigue while at work on a monthly or more frequent basis
Over half (54%) of office workers surveyed experience decreased productivity on a monthly or more frequent basis
Over a third (41%) of people experience watery or irritated eyes when in the office on a monthly or more frequent basis

Almost 40% of office workers who suffer from at least one of the symptoms listed believes poor ventilation is the main reason for the problems they experience, and this was before the COVID-19 pandemic kicked off in 2020, which saw office workers forced to adapt to home working, to help reduce the transmission of viruses in office environments.

In an article published in the journal Science last month (April 2022), the panel of 39 researchers from 14 countries, including the UK, says the quality of our indoor air should be monitored to the same standards as food and water to protect against the transmission of disease.

In this article, we're going to explore 4 quick, low tech options for improving indoor air quality, and determine which are most effective for you to use.

1. Open Windows

Opening windows is the most used form of ventilation with 60% of office workers saying it is the first thing they do if they need ‘fresh air’. However, this could be doing more harm than good. Although opening a window is seen as a natural response, we're actually running the risk of further polluting our working environments by letting in outdoor toxins, a survey found. [3]

Indoor ventilation systems could be the answer. According to research released by the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), a well-ventilated room can clear 70% of virus particles in the air - leading to official advice to either open windows regularly for 15 minutes at a time or leave them open a little, continuously. [4]

2. Adding Plants

The effectiveness of indoor plants in a typical office is negligible.

Although the indoor plants can reduce the pollutant concentration up to 90% from laboratory chamber tests, they generally have very low clean air delivery rate (CADR) values below 1 m3 /h, which results in very low effectiveness (below 4%) in a typical indoor environment.

In 1996, a study by Wolverton [5] showed that the use of plants to enhance the indoor air quality was a feasible option, which could result in both tangible and intangible benefits. Although the measured relative humidity data for the experimental zone failed to suggest a significant rise in the indoor humidity levels. [5]

3. New Office Furniture

Buying low-VOC (Volatile Organic Pieces) furniture. This means buying furniture that has less finishes, adhesives and varnishes applied so that it doesn’t have a nauseating chemical smell. [7]

The EPA [8] says that VOC levels can be up to 2-5 times higher indoors than outdoors. When workers are exposed to VOCs, they may experience adverse health effects, such as headaches, nausea, throat irritation, fatigue, or in more severe cases; liver damage . Thankfully, there’s low-VOC office furniture available to minimise workers’ health risks.

Another method worth considering is airing out new furniture. Bring it in on the weekends and increase ventilation in the office for at least a week to counter the effect of the initial off-gassing of VOCs. [9]

4. Keep Air Vents Unblocked

HVAC systems should be cleaned regularly. Be sure to change the filters from time to time to prevent dust and other air pollutants from circulating back to your indoor air. Clogged filters can interrupt airflow and speed up the build-up of pollutants in enclosed spaces.
Be sure to keep air vents unblocked. Placing furniture, storage boxes, chairs, or cabinets in front air vents will disrupt air circulation, causing your workplace to feel stuffy.
Keeping air vents closed and blocked can lead to an accumulation of mould and dust which will increase the likelihood of pollution indoors. To improve air quality indoors, keep air vents open and unblocked and getting them regularly cleaned to minimise the attraction of dust and mould to the area to maintain a healthy air flow. [10]

Still need help improving your indoor air quality?

We offer a range of solutions to improve indoor air quality, from virus risk monitoring, optimisation of your BeMS & HVAC systems, and facility management.

For more information:

OPTIMISE MY AIR QUALITY

References

< Older Post

Newer Post >

BOOK YOUR 30-MINUTE ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONSULTATION

Fill in your details below to arrange a complimentary consultation with one of our experts. They will give you bespoke advice to help your business achieve all its energy needs, reducing cost, consumption and carbon.

BOOK YOUR FREE ENERGY CONSULTATION