Employers across the world are welcoming their workforce back to the office. They are revising health and sanitization protocols to make sure employees feel safe while at work. But taking daily temperature readings and social distancing is not enough. To regulate the quality of indoor air in your workplace, you must take a few extra steps. While the global pandemic may have drawn attention to the catastrophic role airborne viruses play in our lives, companies continue to face a health challenge for which there is only prevention, and no cure: indoor air pollution. Several studies have proven that poorly ventilated office air is clogged with toxic fumes and bacteria, and thus, can lead to poor work performance and productivity. Hiring someone to perform air quality testing regularly is one way to combat this situation, here are a few more:
Install Medical Grade Air Purifiers in the Workplace
The air you breathe has a direct impact on how you feel. Do you want to improve your indoor air quality and workers’ productivity? Then, installing high-quality HEPA filter air purifiers in the office building is a no-brainer. These High Efficiency Particulate Air or HEPA filters have a design that removes 99.97% of harmful particles (that are 0.3 microns or larger in size) from the air that passes through them. Dust, dust mites, and pet dander to mold spores, bacteria, and viruses. Medical grade air purifiers can get rid of it all!
Bring Fresh Filtered Air into the Office
When the same old air continues to sit in an enclosed space – like your office – for an extended period of time, it is bound to get stale. Dust, mold, bacteria, pollen, and particles all stay in the air, contaminating it over time. If your office building doesn’t routinely conduct air quality testing and exchange stale air for fresh air, your employees wind up inhaling this dirty air.
This is where an air exchanger comes in. An air exchanger circulates stale indoor air out of the space and brings in fresh air from outdoors. Choose an exchanger that ensures to perform a minimum of 2–4 air changes per hour (ACH). So, the indoor air is as fresh as possible.
Get Rid of Cheaply Made Furniture
Our clients always feel surprised to hear this one. However, few people know that furniture made from cheap materials like plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and pressed wood contain high amounts of formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.
Long-term exposure to formaldehyde causes burning sensations. Especially in the throat, nose, and eyes, watery eyes, and irritation in the nasal canal. In some serious cases, individuals can also experience skin rashes, chest tightness, coughing, and nausea. People often mistake symptoms of formaldehyde exposure for cold and flu symptoms. You’d be better off buying solid wood furniture from flea markets and thrift shops.
Schedule An Air Quality Testing with IndoorDoctor
In addition to the above steps, performing indoor air quality testing will provide you with valuable insights to make your IAQ improvement protocol more efficient. In fact, IndoorDoctor technicians are certified to perform air quality testing. That includes checking for water damage, odors, mold growth, ventilation, airflow, and humidity levels. To promote a healthy environment in your workplace, give us a call at 800-466-1522 or contact us online.