SpencerMayes
Building Services Consultants
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Company & Industry News
Indoor Environmental Quality As a Priority Concern in Buildings
We spend over 80% of our time indoors, perhaps a little more since lockdown begun. Recent publications about the poor air quality (AQ) in our towns and cities, coupled with investigations on the link between AQ and coronavirus transmission, as well as intensifying climate change lobbying are making people increasingly aware of the importance of good air quality.
Contaminant sources from building materials or human behaviour indoors, can make the indoor air 8 to 10 times more polluted than the exterior air, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
More and more studies are beginning to report the increase in employers’ productivity and the reduction in sick leave when wellbeing is considered, and the subsequent economic benefits it brings.
Despite, this, some employers and building owners tend to be reactive rather than proactive, neglecting the maintenance of the ventilation systems. Indoor air quality (IAQ) at work is measured when it is obvious staff may be at risk, following specific HSE procedures for special contaminants or industries, but in an office environment, measurements tend to be carried out when there are scheme points to be achieved or when there are sick building syndrome related complaints. Read More