With the COVID-19 pandemic causing more people to stay inside, indoor air quality (IAQ) is an issue that has taken on a greater significance in the public consciousness. Besides concerns about viruses and other airborne pathogens, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor concentrations of pollutants have risen over the decades due to increased use of synthetic cleaners, building materials and furnishings. Indoor air pollution from pollutants and pathogens can cause a variety of health issues and is responsible for the deaths of 3.8 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.
Needless to say, maintaining optimal IAQ is important for the safety of employees working together in shared spaces within building facilities. Ventilation, filtration and source control play an important role in IAQ. To ensure a building is safe for its inhabitants, facilities managers can take the following steps to make their commercial spaces safe:
- Consult an HVAC Technician for certified testing of air quality, especially for larger HVACR systems
- Increase outdoor air ventilation for more air movement and to minimize risk of pathogens
- Improve efficiency of air filters by consulting with an HVAC tech to determine optimal filtration for the size of your system
- Consider using UV light treatment which has been proven to kill the COVID-19 virus as a supplement to filtration
- Consider having an HVAC team adjust space comfort setpoints to increase your system’s ability to use more outside air and maintain space relative humidity between 40-60% to decrease infectivity of virus particles in the air
For more information about IAQ and facilities management, please contact Vanguard Resources at (210) 495-1950 or email us at info@vanguardresources.com.
*Information from this article was found from NATE Magazine, August 2021
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