Resilient organisations have fought through and learned how to adapt, and while it hasn’t been a picnic, as the old saying goes – what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Many businesses have chosen to embrace long-term change as a result of Covid-19. Some have remained remote, while others have become generally more flexible, thereby improving work-life balance and morale. For businesses who have chosen to keep working on-site, or who simply have to in order to function, other positive changes are coming to light. New health and safety measures are being considered and prioritised as a matter of urgency – most notably, that of Indoor Air Quality and ventilation.
We spoke to Steve Tomkins, Head of Business Development at SFG20, who is a chartered engineering leader with over 20 years’ engineering maintenance & management experience, Working in the Facilities Management, Construction, Rail & Automotive sectors he explains why there is an increased focus on indoor air quality, how it can improve health and safety standards for all employees, and what legislative changes are likely to take effect in the years to come. What measures will businesses need to take to remain compliant?
Facilities managers have always looked upon indoor air quality as a serious issue, however since news of the pandemic hit in 2020, business owners have had to sit up and take more notice. Increasingly, they are having to answer more detailed questions regarding ventilation; what improvements they are making, and what measures are being put in place to dilute airborne viral load?
Something that has prompted this increased interest in indoor air quality is the fact that viruses (including Covid-19) tend to thrive and spread in drier air – meaning relative humidity (RH) has been under increased scrutiny. We’ve known for quite some time that humidity has an effect on viruses, and this has been observed in lab experiments multiple times. One notable experiment looked at the spread of flu among groups of guinea pigs. The study showed that in more moist air, the flu was able to build more momentum. In fact, it’s also been shown that most flu epidemics follow a drop in air humidity. Knowing this, modern businesses should be more concerned than ever about the levels of air humidity in their offices, and looking into measures to keep this humidity at an optimal level.
Sometimes objectively horrible events can prompt long-term changes for the better. This renewed look at the importance of indoor air quality is crucial for now, while we’re in the midst of a pandemic, but it’s critical that this remains a focus for the long-term – for the health and safety of employees, and for society in general. Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds, is a SAGE advisor and specialises in airborne infections and the transport of airborne pathogens. Noakes insists that this new focus on air quality needs to be a standard for the years to come, ensuring buildings are protected. Keeping this at the forefront of our minds and legislation will ensure we don’t return to poor, pre-Covid standards of ventilation, which are breeding grounds for airborne threats.
Business owners have a lot to keep up with, in terms of compliance, health and safety. This means that, more often than not, some things fall by the wayside. For many companies, pre-Covid, this tended to be indoor air quality. Noakes claims that many businesses aren’t even achieving the current standards for air quality, with some not having any proper ventilation at all. Businesses like this will have to adapt in 2022 if they want to keep their employees safe and survive legislative changes.
It’s also important to not fall into the trap of ‘natural’ choices. For example, keeping a window open will not guarantee you great air circulation, as you will be entirely dependent on wind direction and temperature. For the right standards to be maintained, legislation will be needed, policies will need to be set and facilities managers must ensure certain equipment is being used to maintain these standards.
A well-ventilated space is necessary for any business in 2022 – it’s also necessary for a society that is trying to claw its way out of a worldwide pandemic. As such, we will likely see increased measures and legal requirements enforced regarding air quality and the measurement of CO2 concentrations – which is a fairly reliable and straightforward way to measure the effectiveness of a ventilation strategy.
Part F of the Building Regulations is currently under review – this may well be used to address indoor air quality measures, which may then be introduced in the upcoming Environment Bill. Though this might feel like yet another task to add to the long list of building regulations and compliance measures all businesses must adhere to, it’s likely to be a leading concern in 2022, and one that will make a big difference to employee health, safety and wellbeing.
