FOCUS HEALTH AND SAFETY
PURER AIR
Even before the pandemic, the
government cited air quality as
one of the biggest environmental
threats to health in the UK. Now,
with the added concerns around the
airborne transmission of COVID-19,
the spotlight on air quality has
never been greater. With businesses
looking to safely reintroduce
sta to the workplace and given
the amount of close contact that
colleagues can have with each other
throughout an average working day,
facilities managers should consider
incorporating air purification
measures into their occupational
health strategies.
AIR PURIFICATION IN RESPONSE
TO COVID-19
The British Medical Journal (BMJ)
explains that when people infected
with COVID-19 (or SARS-CoV-2) exhale,
particles that include the virus are
expelled into the air. If someone is
within a “short range” (less than one
metre away) they are at risk of inhaling
these harmful particles almost
instantly. Any remaining particles
then disperse and can be inhaled
by those further away – and even
those over two metres away can be
exposed. Particles can remain in the
air for hours, so even až er the infected
person leaves the premises, occupants
could still be at risk.
While measures like mask wearing,
social distancing and keeping doors
and windows open are somewhat
e§ ective at reducing the transmission
of disease, they are not always
practical and are di§ icult to enforce
– especially now that these steps
have been removed from government
guidance. Moreover, opening a
window to access ‘fresh air’ can
be rather counterintuitive when
you consider the levels of outdoor
pollution occupants will be exposed
to, especially in cities or sites located
near a busy road, or in industrial areas.
To minimise risk further, the BMJ
recommends that an air ventilation
or air purification system should be
installed. This advice has also been
underpinned by other organisations
globally, including the Centers of
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
and The American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE).
FURTHER BENEFITS OF AIR
PURIFICATION
As well as reducing the transmission
of disease, air quality has also been
linked to wider health and wellbeing
benefits. According to the NHS, ‘sick
building syndrome’ poses a real risk
to o§ ice workers. Poor ventilation
and exposure to particles like dust,
smoke, fumes and fabric fibres, as
well as chemical fumes including
volatile organic compounds can cause
employees to experience symptoms
such as headaches, rashes, coughs,
sore eyes or throat, tiredness and
di§ iculty concentrating – which
can therefore impact on employee
performance and productivity.
In fact, research from Harvard
and Syracuse Universities found
that employee productivity can be
a§ ected by the quality of workspace
air. The study found that by improving
ventilation and reducing indoor
pollutants, cognitive function was
vastly increased, with employees
performing 61 per cent better on
cognitive tasks than in the standard
o§ ice conditions. It is therefore
worthwhile considering how air
purification can be implemented as
part of a wider wellbeing strategy to
ensure that employees are breathing
in clean, purified air.
SPECIFICATION OF AIR PURIFIERS
When selecting which air purifiers
to install, there are a number of
considerations that should be taken
into account. Quality models will be
able to e§ ectively remove even the
smallest particles from the air and
here, solutions that are designed
with sophisticated filter technology
o§ er the best results and protection.
Leading manufacturers have designed
air purification systems that feature
H13 HEPA technology which can
capture hazardous contaminants as
small as 0.1 microns, which are easily
inhaled and can penetrate deep within
the lungs.
Another factor to consider is how
ož en the air is cleaned. O§ ices are
high-tra§ ic premises with employees
and visitors accessing numerous
spaces and coming into contact with
multiple people throughout the
average day. Given that COVID-19
and other harmful particles can
remain in the air for some time, it is
important to select air purifiers that
remove contaminants from the air
automatically and completely clean
the air on a regular basis. Look for
models that o§ er at least five air clean
cycles per hour – the equivalent of
every 12 minutes.
Finally, for added reassurance that
the air purifiers selected can deliver
the level of protection needed, check
that they have been accredited by
an independent third party. For
example, certified to neutralise the
airborne viral load of SARS-CoV-2,
able to remove 99.99 per cent of the
aerosolised SARS-CoV-2 virus through
a single pass of the purifier and even
certified to remove 99.9 per cent of the
H1N1 flu virus, commonly known as
Swine Flu.
By controlling and cleaning the air
to remove airborne germs and viruses
(including SARS-CoV-2, the pathogenic
virus responsible for the COVID-19
disease pandemic), as well as
allergens, odours, gases and chemical
fumes including volatile organic
compounds, air purifiers are useful for
high-tra§ ic spaces like o§ ices.
By focusing on the quality of indoor
air as a long-term approach rather
than a knee jerk reaction to the
pandemic, facilities managers can
help prevent the spread of germs
and viral infections, while creating an
environment focused on wellbeing.
Tim Browning, Head of Business Development - Air Treatment at Fellowes
explains how air purifi cation systems can help to safeguard against germs
and viruses, and could o er wider benefi ts for the wellbeing of occupants
48 APRIL 2022