FEATURE
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Berenika Bond, Head of Global Sales at Alpha-Purify, considers why UV air purification methods are one of the best solutions for keeping employees safe from airborne diseases.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought seismic changes in office working patterns, culture and future expectations. Everyone has their views on working in an office versus working from home and it’s probably best to leave much of this to the social media channels to debate.
Undoubtedly there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument, but facilities managers need to continue to uphold working environment standards and regulations, but with an added focus on safety to mitigate outbreaks of Covid-19.
Ventilation is key This is particularly true in places where air quality is low. Poor ventilation or enclosed spaces heighten the need for extra safety measures. Regulation 6 under the Workplace Health, Safety, and Welfare Regulations 1992 is all about ventilation. It states, ‘effective and suitable provision shall be made to ensure that every enclosed workplace is ventilated by a sufficient quantity of fresh or purified air.’
Whilst the Regulations are to help businesses comply with their duty to provide sufficient fresh air under health and safety law rather than reducing the spread of infectious diseases, clause 48 makes it clear ‘that the air which is introduced should, as far as possible, be free of any impurity which is likely to be offensive or cause ill health’.
What does this mean for a facilities manager? With a return to the office on the cards for many workers, there is an increasing demand to know what additional practices have been put in place to help protect them from Covid-19. One option is to enhance air quality through purification or disinfection devices. Changing the existing air conditioning equipment to include purification elements is costly, so many are looking at other ways to add such treatments. One solution is through ultraviolet (UV) light-based devices.
How does UV work? Using UV light to remove harmful microorganisms isn’t new. In the early 1900’s German Ophthalmologist Ernst
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Hertel determined that light in the UV-C wavelength could inhibit the growth of pathogens. Since then, it’s been proven that UV-C light inactivates microorganisms by disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions such as reproduction.
In November 2020 the government advisory panel, SAGE-EMS published a report considering the potential application of air cleaning devices to manage the transmission of Covid-19.
It found that “whilst there is no data yet for SARS-CoV-2, the data for other coronaviruses suggest it is highly likely that it is susceptible to UV-C”. It went on to state “application of air cleaning devices may be a useful strategy to reduce airborne transmission risks in poorly ventilated spaces.
Check the quality When considering using air disinfection or purification devices it is worth noting that there are no international test standards available to verify effectiveness. This has led to some ‘interesting’ product claims, usually found via the internet. So, it’s best to check how a device works in terms of its UV intensity, how much exposure time is given to air particles and the rate of airflow in relation to the size and layout of the environment.
A good supplier will be able to advise on the above considerations and also have options available in terms of scale. For example, if the space is small and enclosed, such as a meeting room, then a portable device may be sufficient to meet the needs. But larger spaces such as a warehouse may require recessed or roof-mounted units that are able to handle far larger airflows.
So, if you have been tasked with adding measures to help combat outbreaks of Covid-19 don’t just take the internet’s advice about air purification but make sure you talk to established suppliers who can help consult on the right options for your needs.
www.alpha-purify.com
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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