Employers and Healthy Air
Americans spend more time indoors than ever. According to the EPA, we spend nearly 90% of our time indoors. That’s a hefty amount of time breathing contained air. What does that mean for our health and what does it mean for employers?
We’ve seen the quality alerts come through our phone and scroll across our devices due to poor outdoor air quality recently. The public and employees are concerned about general air quality and contaminants from mold, asbestos, airborne toxins, and virus transmission. Companies with high usage of chemicals for manufacturing, cleaning, or who have people working in tight quarters with others should be aware. Studies conducted by the EPA show that indoor air quality is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air.
Poor indoor air quality can not only be uncomfortable (irritated eyes, nose) but it can be dangerous and lead to an increase in employee slow down or absenteeism due headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating. According to the EPA, “specific diseases have even been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments. In addition, some exposures, such as asbestos and radon, do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer after many years.” https://www.osha.gov/indoor-air-quality Some hazardous materials are also toxic to the nervous system (including lead paint dust).
10 Steps to Take
Take care of your employees first and foremost and don’t be open to potential liability. There are lots of ways to cost cut, but this is not one of them.
1) Be aware of any increased incidences of illnesses. Are they reported within a specific area of the building?
2) Make sure that if you are remodeling or adding additions onto your building that your contractor takes the appropriate measures to contain contaminents. Remember that anytime there is demolition, materials such as fungi, dust mites, insect parts, bird or mouse droppings and contaminated standing water will be released into the air. There must be a physically barrior installed such as polyethylene sheeting. You much isolate thee general ventilation system as well by blocking return air grilles. And doors and stairwells should be closed and sealed as well. You can also use dilution ventilation or local exhaust ventilation in addition to these other techniques.
3) Have construction or cleaning done at times when there are minimal people in the facility.
4) Use HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner to minimize recirculation of contaminants. Suppress dust with wet methods.
5) Have policies in place to clean up spilled materials quickly.
6) Monitor your air quality. Call the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for information on obtaining an evaluation of your office (800-35NIOSH). Or contact Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), (202) 219-8151.
7) The “perfect” level of humidity is between 40 and 60%. At these levels, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and more are at their least effective.
8) Installing energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) can satisfy code-mandated air changes per hour requirements and reduce heating and cooling costs compared to more basic exhaust or supply ventilation systems.
9) Don’t take a shortcut on filters. Use a filter that are rated as MERV 8 or MERV 13, which evidence suggests can filter out viruses. They may be slightly more expensive, but the long-term costs will pay off.
10) Have your air system evaluated by a professional. Or if you are in the process of building or renovating, talk with your contractor and ask about ratings, performance, and energy efficiency. Don’t assume that everyone values your air quality as much as you do. As the owner you can and should expect to receive good data. Note: the most expensive may not always be the best for your needs.
Conclusion
Humans rely on air to survive. Clean air is vitally important to to a number of health risks. Don’t underestimate this! As employers, one of our top responsibilities is to take care of our employees. They are our key to success. Do evaluate your air quality periodically. Keep track of any unusual instances of illness or slowdowns in particular departments. Talk to your contractors, know your system and make sure it is well maintained.
Shireman Construction has been in the business of helping business and communities grow for over 65 years. We have learned the best methods to conserve budgets while not compromising performance or safety. Our clients appreciate our methods of communication and always keeping their interests as our #1 priority. If you’re getting ready to undertake a building project (sorry, we don’t do residential), call us. You can check out our project gallery and read what our clients say about us. That carries more weight than what we could every say about ourselves.
Great Resources
Download this guide for building owners and facility managers from the EPA here:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/iaq.pdf
Here is a guide intended to help people who work in office buildings learn about the roles of building managers and occupants in maintaining good indoor air quality. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/office-building-occupants-guide-indoor-air-quality
Shireman Construction
Serving Southern Indiana and the parts of Kentucky