How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your Workplace

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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
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What Determines Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?
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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
While everyone talks about outdoor air
pollution, very little attention is paid to the
quality of air indoors. The quality of indoor air
matters quite a lot since we spend most of our
day inside and have to breathe this air. Be it
our home, workplace or any other building, the
quality of the air goes a long way in
determining our overall health as well as
comfort level.
IAQ is dependent on a lot of factors, as any
indoor air quality specialist would tell you.
Ventilation, temperature, and humidity are all
important. Other factors which affect IAQ are
the placement of air ducts, machines which
release harmful radiations or emissions and
general housekeeping and cleaning practices.
Different gases have to be taken into account,
the most important of which are oxygen, carbon
monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Indoor air quality in the workplace is extremely
important because it affects a lot of people and
for a long duration of time. Also, health,
comfort, and employee productivity all depend to
a large part on the environment and air quality.
How Can You Improve IAQ In The Workplace? There
are many steps which can be taken to ensure good
air quality in the workplace.
1. No Smoking No one should be allowed to smoke
indoors, as it creates smoke and toxins which are
very harmful to health. There should be a
specific smoking area designated for smokers and
it should be outside the building.
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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
2. Ventilation This is perhaps the most important
method through which you can improve IAQ. Fresh
air is essential to flush out carbon dioxide and
other contaminants present indoors, as well as to
maintain a clean, comfortable environment. HVAC
not only maintains proper temperature, but it
also delivers fresh, clean air to the occupants
of the building, thus controlling oxygen levels.
A failure of this system can lead to poor IAQ.
3. Cleaning and Good Housekeeping Your workplace
should be as free of dust as possible. Cleaning
tabletops and other surfaces regularly is a
must. Vacuuming should also be done regularly.
Using vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters is
better as they trap particles and emit very few
of them back into the air. Vacuum cleaners can
sometimes kick up dust from carpets rather than
absorbing it. That is why using a wet mop once
in a while is a good idea. Also ensure that bins
are emptied and cleaned right away, as spoiling
food and other garbage can not only release a
terrible odor, it can also lead to the spread of
diseases.
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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
4. Humidity Air that is very dry can be too
uncomfortable to work in, as is the air that is
too humid. Aim to have a work environment where
humidity is less than 65. Fewer molds will grow
in this humidity level, and people will also
feel more comfortable. A well-maintained air
conditioning system can lead to better humidity.
5. Indoor Plants Having indoor plants improves
IAQ because these plants act as natural
purifiers. They also improve oxygen levels in
the building and get rid of excess carbon
dioxide. Not to mention, they look really nice
and give a positive, fresh look to the workplace.
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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
6. Invest in Safer Furniture and Paint Wooden
furniture has often been treated with dangerous
levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If
at all possible, invest in furniture with safe,
low levels of VOCs. Pressed wood usually has
high levels, but you can ask the producer about
them and try to buy safer furniture. When you
paint your building, paint one region at a time
and let that part of the building dry completely
and air out before you shift people back inside.
This way, no one will have to endure the smell
of new paint or inhale the emitted chemicals.
Checking IAQ Is Very Important You need to know
whether your IAQ meets required local or
international standards. To do this indoor air
quality testing, you will need to hire a
well-reputed indoor air quality specialist.
These professionals will assess the quality of
air inside your building and suggest solutions
if required.
Once a diagnosis has been made, these experts
will then guide you about solving the problems
and improving your workplace environment. IAQ
Consultants Singapore will also give you a
detailed idea about the prerequisites for indoor
environmental quality as stipulated in the Green
Mark Certification, including managing optimal
temperature, noise levels and minimum levels of
toxins and pollutants.
Once your workplace is Green Mark Certified for
Office Interior, you will have a better company
image and the employees will have a safer,
healthier environment to work in.
Indoor air quality professionals will test and
analyze IAQ and then present a report, in which
they will outline the problems if any.
Temperature, humidity, and levels of different
gases as well as chemicals are tested, including
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, and
fungal count. Some good quality services like
those provided by IAQ Consultants Singapore also
let you conduct optional tests including tests
such as identification for specific molds.
Therefore, you should get your IAQ checked and
analyzed, particularly if you suspect a problem,
and follow the guidelines to improve this
quality. Only then can you hope to have a
positive workplace in which people can work in
harmony and realize their full potential.
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How to Achieve Good Indoor Air Quality for Your
Workplace
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