Have you ever noticed how clean & fresh the air you breathe at your working place is? Are you aware of how indoor air quality affects your health and day to day life? Many of us spend most of our time indoors in the workplace without realizing indoor air quality.
It’s no surprise that air quality in a workplace can often be lacking. Air pollutants like dirt, dust, mould and other debris are easily and quickly created in small commercial facilities.
Poor air quality in your office can affect employees anytime when they’re indoors. If employees complain about headaches, sneezing, coughing and other respiratory problems, it could be a clear sign of an indoor air quality issue, especially if they have these symptoms only during office hours.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, in 2017, 1.6 million people died prematurely due to indoor air pollution. This was 4 times the number of homicides, nearly 400,000 in 2017.
According to The Lancet, every year, almost 800,000 people die due to poor air quality in their office.
According to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), air pollution indoors is often between two and five times higher than outdoors and can become extreme up to 100 times poorer than the open air.
Is your office at risk? Want to improve the air quality in your commercial building? Looking for air conditioning installation companies in your area? Get in touch with us!
How to determine indoor air quality issues?
For a layperson, it can be difficult to detect the air quality, but we have central air conditioner installation experts who can quickly diagnose the indoor air quality, common reasons and sources of indoor air pollution, especially in commercial buildings. They usually follow these steps-
-
- First of all, they inspect all the ventilation systems to check if sufficient outdoor air is taken indoor and properly distributed throughout the area.
- They will check whether the filtration systems are working.
- They use air testing kits to check pollutants in the air like mould, carbon monoxide, asbestos, toxic gases, and other chemicals.
- They will also check the central air conditioner. If any maintenance and repair are needed, they will do it.
How to improve office air quality?
It’s vital to keep the air inside the business facilities clean and safe. This helps to promote comfort among your employees and also protects their health. Polluted air inside the office might affect employees’ productivity in the long run, so before the air quality issue worsens, try the following ways from Mackenzie, a leading AC installation service provider in NH Seacoast, Manchester Area, Northeastern MA & Southern Maine.
1. Allow natural air in
Keep your doors and windows open when temperature and humidity levels allow. The natural air and sunlight keeps the air fresh and circulating. You can try this at least once a week or fortnightly as time and convenience permits.
2. Pay attention to cleanliness
A clean and hygienic indoor environment is essential to keep the air clean and pure. It’ll help to reduce dust and mould levels. Hire a professional cleaning team to vacuum carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Ask them to clean windows, drapes, and desk clutter like stacks of books, paper, cables, unused stationery etc.
3. Maintenance of your air filters
Air filters need to be taken care of properly. If needed, replace them all. Keep air filters clean and maintained with the right professional care. Dusty & clogged air filters increase pollutants, dust particles and allergens in a closed environment and decrease the airflow.
4. Keep air vents unblocked
If your office is over-packed with extra furniture, storage units, workstations, chairs, or anything else obstructing the air vents, the air won’t circulate indoors correctly. This can make the workplaces look & feel stuffy. It may become the reason for multiple health problems in employees. Just by unblocking the air vents, you can improve the air quality in your workplace.
5. Embrace indoor plants
Just relying on electrical devices and machines will not only be enough to keep the air clean. Planting some indoor plants in the workplace will absorb the stale air and provide fresh air. It’ll also make a workplace look more beautiful and also give a fresh look to your office indoors. Indoor plants need the proper care, like watering and cleaning the dust from their leaves.
6. Prohibit smoking
Areas where air vents are present and windows are open should be all clear. No smoking should be allowed in these areas. You can proactively set a designated smoking area yourself away from commonplace in your workplace. We know that some employers might not appreciate their employees going out from the office just to smoke, but this is important if you want your staff healthy.
7. Dispose of garbage promptly
Pests and insects get attracted to food spilt on the floor or any other surface. It can also generate unpleasant smells and reduce the air quality. Additionally, food thrown in the dustbins can also be the culprit for poor air in your office. Make sure to dispose of kitchen garbage regularly and promptly.
8. Choose the right products
According to the EPA, many common products used in offices like adhesives, solvents, pesticides, and cleaners can give off pollutants and odors. Thus, it’s also essential to select environmentally friendly products. Also, office equipment such as printers and fax machines produce some smell when used. Therefore, place these products separately with a separate ventilation system.
Final Words
Many people think that air quality is not a big issue, so they don’t provide immediate attention to this, but later on, end up paying more to save the health and happiness of their employees. You can hire commercial air conditioning installation companies like us. We understand the significance of air quality and have specialist teams who can clean and maintain air vents, change filters regularly, and conduct air tests. Thus, we provide much cleaner and pure air to breathe in your office space.
Apart from this, we offer central air conditioner installation services. So if you want to know more about commercial air conditioning installation, call us now!
