You may not think of indoor air quality as being as important to worker productivity as a good health-care plan and adequate pay. However, the quality of the air inside your commercial buildings can greatly influence workflow at your business. Your building’s indoor air quality (IAQ) is vital to the health and safety of your staff and customers.
Because the indoor air is typically much worse than the air outside that we breathe. In fact, workers can experience health symptoms that are brought on by air pollution inside offices, conference rooms, warehouses and factories. That is why it is so important to maintain clean and healthy air in your commercial buildings.
Clean air protects the health of your employees and makes for a more productive work environment. Here are 5 Tips to improve your air quality in the workplace.
5 Ways to Improve Workplace Indoor Air Quality
Change HVAC Filters & Regular HVAC Maintenance
You should have your HVAC filters frequently replaced. By doing so, you prevent dust and other air pollutants from circulating back into your indoor air. Filters that are clogged can obstruct airflow and hasten the accumulation of pollutants in enclosed spaces.
What’s more, you also need to clean your HVAC system on a regular basis. This is where regularly scheduled maintenance service on your HVAC system will help to ensure that your air quality will maintain a consistent quality.
Maintain Proper Ventilation
It is helpful to sometimes turn off your HVAC system and open the windows to allow air from outside to come into the building. Also make sure that air vents are not obstructed. Avoid putting anything such as chairs, furniture or cabinets in front of air vents that will impede air circulation.
A useful addition to your workplace buildings are indoor plants. They are both visually appealing and release more oxygen in the air, while also absorbing carbon dioxide, making for better air quality in any office or building.
Utilize Air Purification Systems in Your Buildings
The advantage of air purification is that it will work to decrease the number of pollutants in the air of your building or office. You can use an air filter for your HVAC system to stop dirt from entering your vents and purify the air in your commercial building.
Because air purifiers use various technologies to cleanse the air, it is vital that you select a purifier equipped with the technology that coincides with the needs of your facility.
Do Frequent Air Tests
If you perform testing of your indoor air, you will discover relevant information and helpful insights to create an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) improvement plan that will be optimally effective. Some ways to monitor your IAQ include testing humidity levels, ventilation, odors, mold growth, and water damage.
Keep a Clean Workplace
When you operate a clean workplace, whether it is the office, warehouse, or factory, you will enjoy the benefits of lower levels of dust, allergens, mold, as well as contaminants that are capable of dispersing through the air.
It could also prove helpful to begin using eco-friendly cleaning products that don’t emit harsh chemical compounds into the air.
Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality
Dust
Poor indoor air pollution can be caused by dust and other environmental pollutants such as mites. Without adequate ventilation, these microscopic pollutants are able to circulate throughout your commercial buildings, setting off allergy symptoms in some individuals.
Chemical Pollutants
Practically every commercially manufactured item in the workplace expels chemical pollutants, and that is in addition to office equipment, wall and floor coverings, upholstery and building materials. These chemicals include polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), polyurethane formaldehyde, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Cigarette Smoke
Your employees may not smoke inside your building, but cigarette smoke can linger on a smoker’s skin and clothes. This is the reason why when someone who smokes comes into a room, you can tell immediately.
The smoke in cigarettes contains in excess of 4,000 chemical compounds, and many of them are extremely toxic and harmful to the respiratory system.
Mold & Mildew
Heated indoor air and colder outside air leads to condensation that forms around windows, which causes moisture. When indoor air contains a lot of moisture, that is a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
Look to Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning for HVAC Repairs & Service
Take a big step toward achieving and maintaining good air quality in your commercial buildings by having our certified technicians at Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning perform regular maintenance on your HVAC system. Look to us for expert service for repairs and replacements of your HVAC units.
At Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning, we have the highly skilled technicians to advise and guide you when it comes to choosing the HVAC system that will work best for your business.
Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning field technicians will work closely with you in deciding what HVAC system is the best, and tailor it to fit your unique needs and preferences, and indoor environment! We are committed to delivering premium quality HVAC service, maintenance, products, and documentation in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and beyond!
Learn more by contacting Apollo Heating and Air Conditioning! Call us at (509) 396-COLD (2653).
