ADVICE & OPINION
FRESH START
FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET
Alan Macklin, Technical Director at Elta Group and Chairman of
the Fan Manufacturer’s Association (FMA), on providing safe and
adequate ventilation for building occupants
As FMs look at the safest ways
of reopening o ices, there
is a lot of attention on how the
health and safety of employees
can be managed, with the focus
understandably being on minimising
the transmission of COVID-19.
Given there is still so much we do
not know about the disease, facilities
managers face a massive challenge
in ensuring sites such as o ices are
as safe as possible. This has largely
meant implementing social distancing
measures, but ongoing research into
how COVID-19 spreads has highlighted
the potentially important role that
ventilation will play in helping people
to return to the workplace.
RESTARTING SYSTEMS AFTER A
PERIOD OF DISUSE
When faced with a building that has
been unoccupied for a sustained period
of time, a facilities manager’s first task
will be to restart ventilation systems
that may have been inactive for several
months. This requires a thorough
and strategic approach, to ensure
equipment is working as e ectively as
it should be.
16 OCTOBER 2020
Regular checks and maintenance
should become a matter of routine
even a er a return to work, with
recommendations including to purge
ventilate for two hours before and
a er occupancy and maintain trickle
ventilation even when the building
is not occupied i.e. overnight. Even
putting the concerns associated
with COVID-19 to one side, there are
links between occupant health and
indoor air quality (IAQ) that must
be addressed. The concerning reemergence
of Sick Building Syndrome,
in which employees su er from
symptoms such as headaches and
sore throats, highlights the importance
of good IAQ. As workplaces start to
reopen, facilities managers must ensure
that existing ventilation systems are
working as e ectively as possible, to
mitigate these health concerns.
VENTILATION AND ITS LINK WITH
INFECTION TRANSMISSION
As we’ve alluded to already, there
is still much we do not know about
COVID-19. However, recent research
into transmission of the disease
has highlighted the role that air
circulation could play, and how
careful management of indoor air
may contribute to a safer working
environment.
One of the primary reasons for
this is the link between dry air and a
number of health problems, including
asthma and skin irritation. Most
pertinently, dry air can also result in
higher rates of infection transmission,
which is something that is o en
seen with seasonal influenza and the
common cold.
Our understanding of how COVID-19
spreads suggests that maintaining
a level of relative humidity could
be a powerful tool in ensuring
the health and safety of building
occupants. There is currently a
general consensus that between 40-
60 per cent humidity is optimum for
occupant health, and the onus will be
on facilities managers to manage air
circulation to help achieve this level.
With research ongoing, it is di icult
to prescribe an absolute one-sizefits
all solution. However, there is
su icient evidence to suggest that
e ective ventilation, whether that
be a natural or mechanical strategy,
reduces infection rates for diseases
such as COVID-19.
As workplaces start to reopen,
consideration must be given to
whether existing systems can
cope with the possible increase
in demand. With factors such as
humidity and thermal comfort also
integral to a safe and healthy working
environment, facilities managers will
have to ensure e ective ventilation
strategies are in place.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
AND CONCERNS
Facilities managers are likely to have
a number of questions with regards
to ventilation’s role in reopening
workplaces, and returning employees
will no doubt have concerns of their
own. Although the unprecedented
nature of COVID-19 means we do not
yet know all the answers, there are
a few common misconceptions that
facilities managers should familiarise
themselves with.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is no doubt that facilities
managers face an uphill task in
optimising workplaces for a safe return
to work. The range of factors that
they must take into consideration is
exacerbated by the fact that there is
still so much we do not know.
However, e ective ventilation is
something that can have a tangible
e ect on employee health, as good IAQ
is linked with improved productivity
and a reduction in Sick Building
Syndrome. The fact that it also has the
potential to reduce transmission of
COVID-19 makes it a critical part of the
reopening of UK businesses.
FAST FACTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Q Is there a risk that ventilation
systems will spread pathogens?
A The risk of spreading pathogens
can be minimised by avoiding
recirculating indoor air. The
ventilation system should be
configured to provide increased
rates of fresh outside air at all
times, even when the building is
not occupied.
Q How will social distancing
measures and reduced occupancy
affect ventilation?
A Where measures have been taken
to provide protection against
transmission, such as screens
between employees, attention
should be paid to ensure that a
flow of fresh air is able to replace
any stagnant air that may become
trapped by the screens. This is
also an important consideration
with toilet cubicles, whereby a
continuous extract of stale air
must be guaranteed, and replaced
with fresh air.
Q Can filtration remove COVID-19
from air?
A HEPA filters, when used in
conjunction with UV-C, can help
to reduce the concentration of
COVID-19. However, specialist
advice should be sought to
ensure compatibility with specific
ventilation systems.