The first Monday in February is traditionally known as National Sickie Day. The day where employee absence is at its most prevalent.
According to a research by The Elas Group, the top 3 employee absence reasons in 2019 were:
- Gastrointestinal issues – 23.98%
- Cold, cough and flu – 16.34%
- Headache – 7.39%
Sick Building Syndrome, which can result in headaches and loss of productivity, even has its own page on the NHS website.
Indoor Air Quality is key
The quality of air that we breathe is one of the main contributors to Sick Building Syndrome. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is vital for our health, productivity and wellbeing.
According to one international report, 800,000 people die worldwide every year due to poor IAQ in their workplace. In the UK, air pollution brings forward some 36,000 deaths over the same period.
A survey commissioned by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) reports that almost 70% of office workers believe poor air quality in their place of work is having a negative effect on their day-today productivity and well-being.
The importance of good IAQ is clear.
What can you do?
Amongst the most common causes of poor IAQ are:
- poor air circulation
- insufficient fresh air intake
- high CO2 levels
- inadequate temperature
- infection and odour
Considered as the ‘lungs of the building’, the role of Air Handling Units which are part of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system is to filter and distribute fresh clean air around the building.
Worryingly, however, HVAC systems are the number one cause of microbial contaminants and bad IAQ according to one leading study. To achieve good levels of IAQ, HVAC systems must have the correct filtration equipment installed and be regularly maintained.
Still worried? We have the solutions
With an extensive and growing portfolio of solutions, Plasma Clean provides air filtration systems and services to meet the requirements of every building. All solutions and products are suitable for new builds or can be retro-fitted into existing HVAC systems.
For a 99.9% kill rate of germs and viruses, we would recommend the UV-C coil clean. UV-C treatments in HVAC systems treat heat exchange coils to disinfect recirculated air.
By exposing the heat exchange coils to constant UV-C light, biofilm growth is prevented. This keeps the coil clean, helping to maintain optimum heat transfer across the coil surface to maximize energy efficiency. This also prevents the transmission of airborne contaminants and odours throughout the building and reduces staff sickness and absenteeism.
Other Plasma Clean solutions include:
- Low-pressure drop air filters to remove harmful contaminants such as NOx from incoming air.
- Standalone odour control units for washroom and waste room smells.
- Kitchen ventilation grease, smoke and odour control.
- Air quality sensors to continually monitor and feedback into the Building Management System (BMS).
- TR19 duct cleaning and leakage testing to ensure that buildings operate as efficiently as they did on handover.
Want to know more?
Read more about ‘How indoor air quality can contribute to a happy, healthy and more productive workforce’ in our new white paper you can download for FREE – CLICK HERE >>
Speak to one of our solution specialists to find out more about the best IAQ solution for your building:
T 0161 870 2325
