It’s a no-brainer in these times of Covid-19, a must-have for every company that cares about its workers. Plus, it’s great for the balance sheet too.
Clean air in the workplace not only stops workers inhaling harmful substances but can protect them from viruses too.
And considering we spend more than one third of a typical day at work, that’s not to be taken lightly.
Polluted Air Causes Serious Health Problems
Working in polluted air is a major cause of many health problems and occupational diseases, such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
“We’ve helped so many companies where poor air quality is causing employees to complain of headaches, lack of concentration or to regularly call in sick,” says Ben Simons, Head of Europe West at Zehnder Clean Air Solutions.
“This is extremely worrying for a responsible employer – doubly so when they see productivity decreasing through absences, and costs rising too.”
Typical Sources of Poor Air Quality at Work
Harmful pollution particles come in all shapes and sizes. Many of the most dangerous are invisible to the naked eye. They include:
- Chemical vapours released by paint, glues or cleaning agents
- Substances released when materials are heated or burned, such as in welding
- Mould in damp rooms
- Exhaust fumes from nearby roads or forklift traffic that are blown into the workplace
- Dust or fumes from grinding and cutting, such as silica and nickel dust.
Clean Air – A Good Return on Investment
Various studies have shown that healthy indoor air reduces sick leave and increases productivity[1]. Moreover, healthy employees are more satisfied and motivated[2].
In fact, The CBI calculates that 3 million working days currently lost to illness in the UK could be regained if air pollution was reduced to the WHO recommended levels. The increased productivity would gain the UK economy £1.6 billion as a result, and workers would benefit through an additional £900 million in earnings currently lost because of air pollution[3].
Industrial Air Cleaning in Practice
There are thousands of companies around the world that have discovered the benefits of clean air.
Take Bells Food, one of Scotland’s best-known bakeries. Their philosophy has always been to put their employees first – and to go the extra mile when it comes to their health.
After installing industrial air cleaners, Bells reduced harmful dust particles at their main Shotts factory by 68%.
“Studies have shown that indoor air quality can be so much worse than outdoors,” says Zehnder’s Ben Simons. “It doesn’t help that regulations governing indoor air are lagging well behind the rules for that outdoors. So, any responsible employer has to ask themselves: Am I doing enough about air quality in the workplace?’”
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of clean air in the workplace? Or are you looking for a trustworthy partner to implement industrial air cleaning in your facility? Then visit www.zehnder-cleanairsolutions.com or directly get in touch with Ben Simons at: ben.simons@zehndergroup.com.
[1] https://aeramaxpro.com/harvard-research-indoor-air-quality-workplace-productivity/ (accessed Feb 14, 2022).
[2] Shan, B.; Liu, X.; Gu, A.; Zhao, R. The Effect of Occupational Health Risk Perception on Job Satisfaction. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2111. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042111.
[3] CBI Economics, Sept 2020. Breathing life into the UK economy. Quantifying the economic benefits of cleaner air.
About Zehnder Clean Air Solutions
Zehnder Clean Air Solutions is a trusted partner for industrial air cleaning in a wide range of sectors. Our market-leading systems filter particulate matter and micro-organisms from the air before they can contaminate the workplace or are breathed in by employees. Our customers can count on more than just air cleaning systems: they also benefit from a bespoke, flexible service. It all adds up to excellent round-the-clock air quality – ensuring healthy, productive employees, lower cleaning costs, reduced machine downtime, and the highest possible standards for your workplace and products.
