How to Improve Indoor Air Quality at Work
Have you ever wondered about the air quality that you work in? Unbeknownst to many, indoor air is actually worse than outdoor air. In fact, many health symptoms are caused by poor indoor air quality.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air inside and around buildings, and the impact the air has on the health and comfort of the occupants inside. According to OSHA, IAQ includes temperature, humidity levels, exposure to chemicals, and ventilation.
What are the Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality?
The biggest contributors to poor IAQ include inadequate ventilation, poor filtration, infrequent maintenance of HVAC systems, dampness and moisture exposure due to leaks, flooding, high humidity levels, dust, occupant activities, and indoor/outdoor contaminated air being allowed to build up indoors. The IAQ of a building can have a significant impact on the health of occupants, where symptoms of respiratory issues like asthma, headaches, nausea, cancer, and even death have been attributed to poor IAQ. These health issues and more, are a major concern to businesses, employees, and rental managers because poor IAQ and the issues that stem from it impact the well-being of workers, thus lowering productivity. Despite its impact on the existence of a healthy work environment, indoor air quality is quite possibly one of the most underrated concerns in commercial and industrial buildings because it is an unseen threat, and therefore, quickly forgotten about.
How to Improve Air Quality at the Workplace
Use Air Purifiers
A commercial-grade HEPA air purifier, like the ISO-Aire model pictured above, can provide a significant IAQ boost to your office.
One of the greatest ways to improve air quality indoors is through the implementation of a commercial-grade air purifier. Portable, effective, and much more cost-effective than residential varieties, commercial-grade air purifiers are specifically designed for business buildings and other commercial and industrial applications.
Air purifiers equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, are amongst the most effective purifier model types. A HEPA filter is capable of removing 99.97%-99.99% of air particulates when at its worst functioning, so think about it as 99.97% or BETTER. HEPA filters are highly efficient at capturing viruses, bacteria, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, and much more, significantly boosting IAQ.
Improve Ventilation & Filtration When Possible
Improving ventilation and filtration is one way to allow more outdoor air to enter the building. This can be a limited solution, however, with many buildings being older or having a limited ability to improve ventilation or are in a location where extreme temperatures would create a large jump in energy bills, or being a problem when outdoor air quality is poor. Unfortunately, increasing the input of outdoor air is not usually the whole answer, with allergens like pollen, mold, and industrial pollutants potentially being in high levels outside, especially in areas prone to wildfires. Enhancing ventilation and adding proper filtration is one way to clean incoming outdoor air and the recirculating air inside, ensuring that occupants remain safe.
Conduct Air Tests
Performing indoor air quality tests can help keep up awareness of the air quality in your space and/or building. Air quality tests include checking airflow, ventilation, mold growth, odors, water damage, and humidity levels.
Change HVAC Filters
Stay current with HVAC filter changes. When filters get clogged, it can disrupt the airflow and speed up the accumulation of air pollutants indoors. By staying up-to-date with filter maintenance & replacement, you can improve the cleanliness of the air coming in from outside and the air recirculating through the space.
Keep a Proper Level of Humidity
According to the Mayo Clinic, Maintaining a consistent level of 30-50% relative humidity helps protect indoor air from too much or too little moisture. Too much moisture can lead to mold growth, which can significantly negatively affect your health. Too little or too much moisture can also increase the chances of viral transmission, with 40-60% humidity being the ideal zone for minimizing the spread of viruses, including COVID-19.
ISO-Aire HEPA Air Purifiers Provide Optimal Office IAQ
ISO-Aire’s commercial-grade air purifiers are an ideal solution for ensuring the proper IAQ at the office. What sets ISO-Aire apart from other commercial-grade air purifiers is that our purifiers are long-life, lasting 20+ years. Other top qualities include being low-maintenance, portable, and being whisper-quiet, so as not to disrupt office productivity. ISO-Aire purifiers are also cost-effective and energy-efficient.
Our ISO-Aire purifiers are equipped with a 12 in.-thick HEPA filter that has a lifespan of 5-6 years, cutting down on maintenance, while offering 99.99% efficiency. Two additional clean air technologies in the form of UL 2998 certified ozone-free bipolar ionization and UVC sterilization are also available.
Interested in learning more about which purifier would be best for you? Check out our Clean Air Plan or contact our team of experts today at 651-265-0605 or at info@iso-aire.com
