In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, employers need to remember that the health of their staff is their most important asset, argues David Moulton, Managing Director of clean air specialists Camfil UK.
Clean air is often hard to identify as it is not something we can see. Often the pollutants or airborne contaminants that we breathe are so small they are undetectable to the Human eye.
There are many different pollutants that can affect our health from particulate matter (often referred to as PM1 or PM2.5 to airborne viruses and allergens (such as Covid-19 and even pollen) and even gaseous con-taminants (nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide etc).
So why is clean air important to health and safety? Well it’s not just the case that clean air can help prevent the spread of airborne viruses, or that it can protect our health by reducing our exposure to harmful airborne contaminants. Clean air also has many positive effects such as improved concentration levels and increased productivity and these are important factors to all manufacturing and construction sites.
Often in life we will think about the type of food we eat, or the liquids we drink but not very often do we consider the air that we breathe. Since the Covid-19 pandemic this fact has changed. Now the air we breathe is essential. We want to be breathing clean air to ensure that we are protected against airborne contaminants. This is a change in the mindset not just within industry but within society.
When we visit shopping centres or grocery stores, we are now asking ourselves – are we protected? When we stay in hotels, are we protected? Now that the return to work is taking place, many workers are asking themselves the same question – are they protected?
In a lot of buildings the answer is yes, they have the right air changes, using the right air filtration levels within the correct systems. Unfortunately this is not the case for all buildings. Some buildings don’t have the recommended air filtration levels or provide the correct amount of air changes or utilise systems that are not recommended.
Why should companies invest in clean air solutions? The health of your staff is the most important asset. Healthy employees means a reduction in sick days, this in turn can optimise productivity and improve efficiencies within your company. In the case of the Covid-19 pandemic clean air can help to reduce the risk of virus outbreak within your facility.
A study by the CDC in America showed that us-ing HEPA air cleaners can reduce the risk of virus transmission by 65%. By reducing the risk of virus transmission you can help protect your business from mass outbreak that could lead to a short term closure of operations until all affected employees are healthy again.
Often when the term “upgrading” comes into play companies think about a huge capital expense but often this is not the case. In some buildings a simple upgrade of your air filter can be a very small investment (and can often generate payback in terms of Energy savings).
When a simple upgrade is not feasible, the implementation of a properly sized HEPA air purifier removes any renovation requirements and it can be used as a plug-and-play solution for higher risk areas in manufacturing facilities and construction sites.
Our team has been working with a lot of different businesses to get them ready for a full reopening. We are working with health and safety teams to ensure all buildings are adequately protected by meeting all recommended guidelines set forward by both local and international standards. Through this experience, we are constantly aware of the importance of clean air within the workplace.
www.camfil.com/en-ie | info@camfil.ie |
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David Moulton