A staggering 91% of the world’s population breathes in heavily polluted air. Indoor air quality is as important to think about as outdoor air quality, especially considering the time we spend in our homes and offices.
So, when was the last time you considered the air quality inside your office?
If it’s been some time, or you’re looking for ways to improve the air quality, keep reading. We cover the benefits of clean indoor air at the workplace and how you can increase employee wellness by making changes.
How to Measure the Air Quality Inside Your Office
First, you should start by evaluating the air quality indoors. To determine if you have poor indoor air quality, you’ll need the right equipment to measure factors such as humidity and CO2.
There are air quality monitors for home use on the market, but depending on the size of your building, these might not be a good fit. You may need to work with the building manager to develop solutions for improving the office air quality.
In many cases, the best solution may be to invest in a commercial air quality testing service. These experts come out to your location and use equipment to look for air quality problems that might cause health concerns, test for hazardous materials like asbestos, document deficiencies, and more.
Thankfully, there are plenty of steps you can take to improve indoor air quality. For instance, hiring commercial cleaning services or checking the HVAC filter. Each step helps create a healthy environment that benefits your employees in various ways.
It’s Easy Enough That Anyone Can Do It
Whether it’s you or your employees, anyone can do their part to keep air circulating and improve airflow. Make sure you follow these quick tips:
- Avoid blocking grilles and air vents
- Enforce the building’s no-smoking policy
- Avoid using products with harmful contaminants (such as VOCs)
- Don’t mix cleaning chemicals that can create harmful fumes
- Dispose of food and trash promptly
If you manage the office, maintaining a close relationship with the building manager can make all the difference. Talk to them about having the air quality tested and solutions for improving the office atmosphere.
Additionally, here are some more tips you can apply:
- Arrange office furniture to avoid blocking any vents
- Work with a cleaning company to maintain a sanitary environment
- Avoid using products that may release harmful fumes
- Check the HVAC filter (and replace it if necessary)
- Have the air vents cleaned
Investing in regular cleaning services helps keep dust and contaminants down. Additionally, it can help reduce bacteria spread and mold. Plus, keeping the office clean makes your employees happier.
Combine your regular cleaning service with air quality checks to ensure a healthy office environment.
It Can Improve Productivity
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, an office’s indoor air quality impacts an employee’s cognitive function, such as the ability to focus and response times. Additionally, poor indoor air quality can negatively impact productivity. The study revealed that increased PM2.5 levels resulted in acute reductions in cognitive function.
Therefore, improving indoor air quality can help your team focus, becoming more efficient and getting more done. That’s good for your bottom line.
It Boosts Employee Morale
Employee morale is the level of satisfaction and overall mood that your office workers have. It’s how they feel about coming to work, the company culture, etc.
If you want to reduce employee turnover and keep your staff happy and productive, maintaining a positive culture and boosting that morale is vital.
Making changes to the office to improve the overall health and wellness of your employees will help to improve morale. It shows you care about your team and makes them want to stick around.
Poor Indoor Air Quality Causes Health Problems
When the air quality is less than ideal, it can cause various health problems, from irritation to headaches and asthma symptoms.
Let’s examine some of the more common pollutants, allergens, and harmful substances that can negatively impact indoor air quality.
Long-term radon exposure can cause individuals to develop lung cancer. In fact, it’s the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
Tobacco smoke and harmful fumes can cause sensitive individuals and those with asthma to develop allergic reactions. They may also cause asthma flare-ups. Allergens include pollen, contaminants, fragrances, etc.
Too much moisture and humidity cause mildew and mold growth. Mold spores can also cause allergic reactions, difficulty breathing, headache, fatigue, and more. Additionally, excess moisture causes structural damage to your walls, ceilings, and floors.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include various chemicals, some of which may cause adverse health effects. VOC concentration is higher inside than outside and emitted by many different types of products, from paints to cleaning supplies to pesticides.
You Reduce Sick Leave
Poor indoor air quality can make your employees feel lousy, making it harder to focus and increasing the chances of burnout. Feeling stressed and unhappy or working in unhealthy environments increases the number of sick days that people take.
Additionally, buildings with poor ventilation make it easier to spread diseases such as the flu, colds, etc. Ideally, your employees wouldn’t come to work when sick. However, sometimes they might not be aware they’re sick, spreading illness to others in their proximity.
The COVID-19 pandemic made improving ventilation and indoor air quality crucial to slowing the spread. Greater ventilation has a massive impact on keeping your workers healthy.
Experience the Benefits of Better Air Quality
Using these tips, you can improve the air quality inside your office with ease. By doing so, you’ll create a cleaner and healthier environment for your employees.
A key part of maintaining a safe and comfortable workplace is keeping the office clean. Here at ZBM Inc., we offer commercial cleaning services for customers in the Dodge and Jefferson counties. Simply reach out to us to get a quote today.
