5 Benefits of Clean Air in Your Workplace
Over the past two years, you cannot deny that health and safety have become major concerns in the workplace. More and more companies today are going back to normal workplace working, but they have to consider ways of keeping and maintaining a healthy work environment for everyone.
There was a study done by actionforclearn.org.uk that showed an estimated 6 million sick days in the country is the result of air pollution. Air pollution also reduces the lifespan of the British by 6 months. This is why it is important to start thinking about the air your employees and workers breathe in every day with air quality monitoring.
Whether it is a large warehouse or a small tattoo shop, workplaces are where most people spend a lot of their time and if air quality is not factored in, then the health of everyone in the workplace is going to be affected.
There are many ways of improving air quality in the workplace, and it includes the installation of a high-quality air purification system, which lets more airflow by opening doors and windows (during times when the weather permits) and even air purifying plants throughout your workplace. Whichever is best for you, the most important thing is following through with the improvement of air quality in the long term.
Below are the top 5 benefits of a workplace having clean air.
Reducing the risk of illnesses
There is a reduced risk of spreading airborne illnesses and viruses when employees have clean air. This is because particles from the air are removed through purification and filtration. When there are no harmful viruses and bacteria floating around the workplace, then there is a reduced risk of illness inside the office.
This is the main reason why companies today have invested in air purifiers that are placed throughout the office and workspace. The popular solution for air purification is a purifying plant. There are some air purification systems that let the air go through the purification process, where harmful particles are completely removed before the air is released back out to the office space.
Increasing Productivity
Harvard University did a study where they found out employees that work in a clean air environment performed better in cognitive tasks when compared to those working in standard office conditions. When the ventilation was doubled in the workplace, there was a 1005 increase in performance.
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Think of the time you were outdoors when you went for a walk or on a hike and breathe the fresh air when you got on top. You are most likely going to feel better immediately. You start feeling your head being clearer and you start becoming more and more aware of your thoughts. You start feeling better whether you are aware or not. A similar effect is going to take place when the workplace has consistent airflow and ventilation of purified air.
The next question becomes, can you afford not to have clean air in the office or the workplace? It is a good idea to spend small amounts of money investing in the purification of air inside the workplace. By doing this, you are going to help your employees think more clearly and you are also going to see improved productivity.
Reducing or eliminating chemical ingestion
If you were to ask any employee if they would be okay with ingesting harmful chemicals day to day? The answer to this question will always be no. If that is the answer, why is it that we let employees and co-workers go through that on a daily basis? The issue with this problem is you don’t know when it happens and even if you do, you most likely don’t know what to do to fix the problem.
If you have a closer look at the workplaces around the country, you notice that there are a lot of harmful and carcinogenic chemicals and substances that employees breathe in. This is common in large factories that have heavy machinery, labs such as orthotic and prosthetic labs where there’s frequent sanding of materials such as fiber carbon. It can also be small hair salons that use blow driers that spread chemicals because of the products being used.
When you remove this by using air purifying plants, air purifiers, or just opening the doors and windows regularly, it is going to help a lot. The risk of employees ingesting or breathing in harmful chemicals drastically goes down.
Increasing life expectancy
Air pollution can affect the neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Studies coming out are showing that air quality can have a big impact on people’s health and even shorten their lives.
When you trap and remove the particles that can seep into your lungs and skin, you will improve the life expectancy of your employees and co-workers.
Improving Sleep
When harmful allergens and dust are caught in the airways and enter the lungs, employees can start developing allergies and in more serious cases hay fever. Both of these events can lead to poor quality of sleep and make people ill over time.
When these are removed from the workplace, you are going to improve the sleep quality of your employees. You will notice an increase in productivity as a result. Your employees will be happier and healthier because they spend a lot of their time in the workplace.
The above benefits have shown the importance of clean air in the workplace. It is important to make sure that employees and co-workers are breathing in clean air when they are in the workplace, no matter what protocols you choose to take. Cleaner air should be a top priority for any workspace.