NEWS
http://40to60rh.com/
SCIENTISTS CALL ON WHO TO SET INDOOR HUMIDITY POLICY
A new petition has been launched to call on the World Health Organization (WHO) to take swift and decisive action to establish global guidance on indoor air quality, with a clear recommendation on the minimum lower limit of air humidity in public buildings. It is said that this would reduce the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses in buildings and protect public health.
Supported by members of the global scientific and medical community, the petition is designed to not only increase global awareness among the public on the crucial role indoor environmental quality plays in physical health, but also to call emphatically on the WHO to drive meaningful policy change; a critical necessity during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
As COVID-19 continues to put pressure on health systems and the global economy, the group calls on the WHO to review the extensive research that shows an indoor humidity level of between the 40% - 60% relative humidity (RH), is the optimum threshold for inhibiting the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza. This is a threshold that many public buildings drop below every winter.
Prof. Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, The Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of immunobiology and professor of molecular, cellular and
developmental biology at Yale, and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute said: “Ninety percent of our lives in the developed world are spent indoors in close proximity to each other. When cold outdoor air with little moisture is heated indoors, the air’s relative humidity drops to about 20%.
This dry air provides a clear pathway for airborne viruses, such as COVID-19. That’s why I recommend humidifiers during the winter, and why I feel the world would be a healthier place if all our public buildings kept their indoor air at 40% to 60% RH.”
The group of scientists urges the public to read and sign the petition, which can be found here.
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE “A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION” SAYS BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL CHIEF
The British Safety Council has offered a cautious welcome to the government’s latest guidance for employers. According to the government, the new ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines are available to UK employers to help them get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating as safely as possible. But the British Safety Council wants to see a greater focus on leadership and mental health and wellbeing as more people return to work.
Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, said: “As workplaces start re-opening in the coming weeks and months the main priority must be to ensure that employees are safe – this guidance gives much-needed clarity and should reassure workers and employers. But this is just the start. The return to work will have huge implications on employees’
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mental health and wellbeing and I hope that this will be prioritised as government advice evolves.
“I also want to see more emphasis on leadership as a driver of best practice in health and safety. Employers who prioritise safe workplaces, work together with their people to come up with new ways of working, communicate effectively and lead by example, will have happier, safer, more productive workplaces. We’ve always argued that what is good for people is good for business – that’s never been truer than in the post- lockdown workplace.”
“This more detailed guidance is a step in the right direction, providing employers with more clarity – something that sadly wasn’t the case earlier in the week. The reality is that workplaces are going to look very different from what we are used to, and it makes sense to give people as much information as possible before expecting them to turn up for work”.
The guidance was produced in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Public Health England (PHE), and stakeholders in business, trade unions and the devolved administrations.
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