Breathe Easy:
The Impact Of Poor Air Quality On Health And Wellbeing
There are several studies evaluating the impact of air quality on productivity, with a clear link between the two. Research suggests that poor air quality can reduce productivity by up to ten per cent. This, combined with the higher rate of sick days seen in environments with poor air quality, is estimated to cost the global economy over £178 billion annually.
However, there are even more serious implications of poor air quality. Exposure often leads to reports of headaches, eye irritation and fatigue amongst employees. It’s even linked to heightened stress and anxiety levels.
Long‑term effects include the increased risk of chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma and, more recently, it’s been reported that there could be a potential link between poor air quality and dementia. In 2019, the Alzheimer’s Society brought together a roundtable of experts in neurology, epidemiology and environmental risk, and the behaviour of metals in the brain. They agreed that more research is needed but confirmed that poor air quality has a definite impact on the heart, and there’s a strong link between heart and brain health. So, it’s possible that long‑term exposure to air pollution could increase the risk of developing dementia.
Clearly, this is extremely disturbing for employees, who have very little control over the quality of air they breathe in while in the office.
A National Move
In the UK alone, there are several initiatives aimed at improving air quality in workplaces. For example, The Air Quality Grant Scheme provides funding to local authorities, supporting projects that raise awareness and reduce air pollution.
Recent projects include initiatives to educate schoolchildren, provide e‑cargo bikes for businesses and train healthcare professionals to help vulnerable populations reduce exposure to air pollution. Over £53 million has been awarded to more than 500 projects since 2010.
There are also more targeted programmes like Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE), which encourages the use of digital tools for monitoring indoor air quality.
While this project focuses on schools only, it can provide valuable insights applicable to office environments.
Making A Change
Tenants must be familiar with the impact that certain products and practices can have on air quality. According to studies by environmental agencies, cleaning products are responsible for 20 to 30 per cent of indoor VOC emissions — this increases to 50 per cent in offices during and immediately after cleaning has taken place.
This also applies when choosing paints, carpets and even furniture. If chemical products, like paints and solvents, are stored on‑site, they should be in ventilated areas away from occupied spaces.
One way that employees can have a direct impact is by limiting indoor pollutant sources. This includes restricting activities like burning candles or using aerosols. Burning a single paraffin candle for one hour can emit up to 10 mg of particulate matter, depending on the type of wax and wick used. Disturbingly, this level is comparable to second‑hand smoke in a confined space.
Facilities managers (FMs) also play a critical role in improving air quality within buildings, but before they can tackle the problem, they must know where they currently stand. This is why technology that enables accurate, real‑time monitoring is key to improving air quality over time.
FMs can take responsibility for air quality by ensuring that their sites are equipped with IoT monitoring solutions that enable tenants to have a clear view of their air quality, and how this changes over time. With this information, they can start to make informed decisions — for example, about the types of products that they want to use.
The average person spends approximately 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime — a percentage of which is usually spent in an office environment. FMs have a significant role to play in improving air quality and, in turn, employee health.
