BSEE INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Corporate wellness has become a hot topic over the last few years, with employers and building managers becoming increasingly aware of how the oce environment can impact producvity. One element of this is air quality, and the importance of ecient venlaon. Steve Charles, Technical Consultant at Jaga, explains.
being rolled out at an
unprecedented rate, with nearly half of all UK companies establishing a comprehensive wellness plan. According to The Global Wellness Institute, the world market for workplace schemes is around $43bn, most of which are based in the US and Europe. The UK Government has also now explicitly come out in support of workplace wellness, with a Government green paper on work, health and disability stating: “Businesses drive our economy and are rightly focused on growth, productivity and delivering a return on their investments. Investing in workplace inclusivity, health and wellbeing is critical to these goals”.
F
A central tenet of these schemes is indoor air quality. Significant research has been undertaken to understand the role that air quality has on employee performance, yielding considerable results.
One such study was conducted by Harvard and Syracuse Universities. In order to measure the impact of air
Adversing: 01622 699116 Editorial: 01354 461430
THE IMPORTANCE OF IAQ What’s smart about DCV systems
or UK businesses, corporate wellness has become a serious conversation. According to recent research, workplace wellbeing strategies are
quality, the researchers simulated environments with different levels of ventilation, carbon dioxide, and emissions from common office products. Participants were exposed to two different environments, one involving workers going about their usual tasks in typical office conditions, the other in a condition where ventilation was improved, and levels of carbon dioxide and emissions were reduced. The results were conclusive. Employees in the well-ventilated environment performed a massive 61 per cent better on cognitive tasks than they did in standard office conditions. Even more startling, the researchers found that by doubling the ventilation in the second environment, cognitive performance increased by more than 100 per cent. A separate study conducted by Harvard University on 10 different green- certified buildings found employees had 30 per cent fewer headaches and respiratory complaints in their controlled air quality environments than those in typical office buildings. The study also showed employees performed nearly 27 per cent better on cognitive tasks. Finally, workers in the study slept better at night, tracked by a wristband measuring sleep quality.
This research, along with the growing
demand for defined workplace wellbeing strategies, highlights the vital importance of proper ventilation in corporate premises.
So, what do building managers and engineers need to know? Below are a few key factors to bear in mind when considering workplace ventilation.
Venlaon is key
Various studies have shown that indoor air pollution has increased in recent years. This is due to a variety of factors, including the construction of tightly sealed buildings, the reduction of ventilation rates to save energy and the
uThe latest Demand Controlled Venlaon (DCV) soluons work by regulang the intake of air into a space based on the changing levels of CO2
in the environment,
extracng stale air at the same rate.
On a train? In between meetings? Stay informed!
For the very latest
industry news on the go
www.bsee.co.uk
Also available now in the App Store or Google Play 30 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AUGUST 2018 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.bsee.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70