Our latest blog takes a look at how improving poor indoor air quality with a VIRUSKILLER™ air purification unit will help you with improving overall workplace productivity.
With the introduction of open plan offices in the late 1950s, many work environments were physically transformed to facilitate collaboration and increase the flow of information. Sadly, information isn’t the only thing that flows through offices these days.
The legacy of poor indoor air quality (IAQ)
Carpeting and other furnishings – originally designed to absorb noise in open-plan spaces – can emit toxic pollutants (also called volatile organic compounds – VOC’s) and harmful concentrations of indoor air pollution can make its way inside through outdated HVAC systems, acting as a carrier for airborne viruses and bacteria. Pollutants such as CO, NO2, and particulate matter (PM) can have long-term negative effects on employee productivity and wellbeing.
We also have a better understanding of how the Coronavirus can be transmitted through the air in enclosed spaces, and with this understanding has come a renewed appreciation of the importance of improving poor indoor air in the workplace.
Poor IAQ is bad for business
While COVID-19 may have provided the wake-up call businesses needed to focus on improving IAQ, the fact is that the air we breathe has never been good for business. Poorly ventilated office air that is endlessly recycled and clogged with particulates, bacteria, and toxic fumes affects our mood, productivity, and workplace performance, and thus – ultimately – the bottom line.
Using indoor plants can certainly help in improving the overall air quality in your office, but eliminating viruses and bacteria requires specialized technology. The benefit of acquiring VIRUSKILLER™ clean air technology to a business is ultimately the protection of the health and wellbeing of employees and thus the bottom line, as well as crucial peace of mind that it is fulfilling its duty of care to look after the health and wellbeing of all employees.
3 biggest risks from poor indoor air quality:
Let’s take a more detailed look at the 3 biggest risks to your employees from poor IAQ, and how poor indoor air quality affects productivity in your business.
1. Airborne transmission of viruses causes illness
Disease-causing viruses and bacteria – including COVID-19 – can be spread by direct contact with aerosols from infected employees who talk, cough, and sneeze. Read our post on sister blog Insights on “How far can a sneeze travel” for more on this topic.
Employees who miss work due to respiratory illness such as flu generally miss between one to four workdays, accounting for 5–20% of sickness absences in the workplace. Studies show that occupants in open-plan offices with more than six people have 62% more days of absence.
In comparison to employees working in cubicle offices, people who work in shared offices and open-plan workspaces have an 18% and 12% higher risk, respectively, of medically certified sickness absence. And as we know, absenteeism can really hit a business hard on the bottom line.
2. Poor indoor air causes reduced performance and productivity
Exposure to recycled indoor air in air-conditioned buildings – coupled with common outdoor air pollutants that find their way indoors – can lead to poor concentration, headaches, and diminished mental performance. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to a reduction in a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, and memory.
Recycled air and common indoor air pollutants found in offices can reduce an employee’s ability to respond to the day-to-day demands of their work, leading to fatigue, headaches, and diminished mental and physical performance. Carbon monoxide concentrations in the workplace can cause fatigue, reduced brain function, and impaired vision and coordination. Poor indoor air quality has been shown to reduce office performance by between 6–9%.
3. Sick building syndrome causes absenteeism
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) describes situations where building occupants experience acute health effects that appear to be linked to time spent indoors without any specific illness or identifiable cause. Symptoms are nonspecific and can include eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, mental fatigue, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and skin irritations
Indoor sources of VOCs from building materials, carpets, flooring, paints, and wooden-based materials can exacerbate symptoms of SBS. The presence of a cooling system has been found to be associated with SBS symptoms. Office equipment, such as printers, photocopiers, and all-in-one office machines are reported to emit indoor air pollutants including PM, VOCs, and ozone, which are all linked to SBS symptoms.
How VIRUSKILLER™ can improve overall workplace productivity:
While surface decontamination is relatively simple — simply wipe down furniture and equipment with sanitizer — air decontamination requires specialized technology. VIRUSKILLER™ airflow control ensures the protection of the breathing zone in a room, helping to minimize cross-infection between co-workers and staff. The high-grade filters act as a first line of defence and thereafter the Reactor Chamber efficiently decontaminates the air in real-time.
The high-grade HEPA filter and activated carbon filter take care of the particulates, harmful gases and fumes responsible for poor concentration, fatigue, and headaches. The decontamination power of the Reactor Chamber neutralizes gases and deactivates biological pathogens that carry illness and exacerbate allergies and asthma.
A host of filtration, neutralization, and decontamination technologies are required to provide air that is free from the pollutants that can cause eye irritation, blocked nose, tight chest, and dizziness.
Each VIRUSKILLER™ model is equipped with a triple filtration system — a pre-filter, carbon filter, and high-grade HEPA filter to tackle particulate matter and VOCs, while the patented Reactor Chamber breaks down bioaerosols and organic matter that might otherwise escape filtration.
Returning to the workplace:
Whilst working from home provided countless employees the opportunity to continue working safely during the pandemic, there are advantages to employees returning to the office, even if it is only part-time. And these advantages certainly warrant investing in clean air technology.
Clean air technology can help guard against airborne contaminants that may cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and loss of concentration by providing clean, fresh air and helping to reduce instances of cross-infection in the workplace that may ultimately harm a business’s bottom line.
Investing in clean air technology is both a short- and long-term investment for businesses. By creating a safe and welcoming office environment for employees who may feel unsure about returning – and by demonstrating that their safety is the top priority for the company – businesses will be able to attract employees back to work more quickly.
By reducing absenteeism caused by illness, allergies, and other health issues related to poor indoor air quality, employers will feel assured that the health of their business is also receiving an added layer of protection.
Find out more about which VIRUSKILLER™ unit is right for your workplace by reaching out to a member of our team. We’ll be happy to do a free survey of your workplace, and recommend the unit best suited to your needs.
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