Page 44 - OHS, September 2022

IH: INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Indoor Air Quality as a Measure of Success for Business Owners
Healthy employees are productive ones.
ABY M. ELAINE DASTI AND THOMAS BURGESS
s we continue to move toward what we hope will be a post-pandemic world, there remains a heightened responsibility for business owners to protect their people from Covid-19 as well as providing a workplace
prepared for potential future outbreaks.
We are in an increasingly hybrid world; some companies have
adopted an all-remote culture while others are giving employees an opportunity to decide whether they work most effectively in an office, at home or both. While some are just now returning to offices, or have had several attempts to reopen, a significant amount of the population never left the workplace. This is particularly true for those in professions that can’t be done from home—hospital employees, factory workers and so on. Not only must we make considerations for the health of these workers but also for their peace of mind. For each environment, specific considerations must be addressed.
Indoor air quality has become increasingly important for both the businesses with staff returning to the workplace, and
40 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2022
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those that have been working on-site throughout the pandemic. Prevention of disease transmission has become an important criterion in assessing HVAC system and air quality. Before the pandemic this was not necessarily a key design consideration outside of medical facilities, and many existing HVAC systems may not meet or be able to meet newer guidelines for important factors like higher efficiency filters.
Assessing and improving existing HVAC systems can benefit from a combination of industrial hygiene and mechanical engineering expertise. HVAC systems serving densely occupied spaces are of critical importance since cross-contamination is more likely to occur in places where people assemble, such as conference rooms. In accordance with guidelines from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), we can determine the ideal amount of ventilation required for a given space based on use and occupancy. We can then test the quantity of outdoor airflow going to the equipment to confirm that it meets ASHRAE Standard 62.1
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