When I worked in big open plan offices back when I was a print journalist I used to worry about the quality of the air circulating. We used to joke that if Bob in sales came in with a cold, by the end of the day everyone in the building would have it.
Of course now there's rather more to worry about than the common cold. COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work for over a year now and it's no wonder some people are reluctant to return to their workspaces, even when their mental health and productively is adversely affected by working from home.
There's a reason the government is so keen for us to only meet friends and family outside. It's all to do with viral load. The more people there are in an enclosed space with little to no ventilation, the faster the air we are breathing in becomes loaded with Coronavirus virus particles.
But some people have no choice but to work in offices, medical facilities and factories and for them it's vital that air quality is as good as it can be.
I have to admit that I cant imagine life without air conditioning now. One office I worked in didn't have AC and I spent the day torn between getting some kind of breeze via the open window next to my desk and being able to actually hear the people I was trying to speak to on the telephone as the traffic roared past.
Another office I worked in seemed to be 125% windows (I exaggerate of course) and even with a tinted window treatment that place was hotter than the centre of the sun. Our editor used to regularly turn up with ice lollies to cool us down.
So "Yay!" for air conditioning. However, a/c systems can be dangerous without a top quality, well maintained filtration system. Poor ventilation and filtering can lead to room contamination which can cause health issues ranging from Legionnaire's Disease to respiratory issues. These conditions in some cases can prove fatal.
Thankfully technology has progressed and modern Virus Free Air Cleaners can eliminate all kinds of pollutants including pollen, fungal spores, dust particles, bacteria and viruses including Coronaviruses like influenza and COVID-19.
As an added bonus, efficient filters which are cleaned, maintained and replaced when necessary can actually reduce the running costs of an air conditioning/filtration system.
When you consider that not only are you making the working environment a more pleasant place to be, but by buying a good virus free air cleaner you are making it a safer place too it makes perfect sense to install the best system you can.
As well as potentially cutting down on staff sick days increasing productivity, you can slash the risk of having workplace related deaths due to COVID-19 too. Now - is it time to think about improving the air quality in your employees workplace?