Once the current COVID-19 pandemic is over, we will still have to maintain high standards of hygiene to ensure a safe working environment for ourselves and our colleagues. A crucial aspect of this standard is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
COVID-19 attacks our respiratory system, so it’s now more important than ever to promote good lung health, as it’s essential to fight coronavirus. Once lockdowns get lifted, your colleagues will be returning to work. Whether you are a maintenance professional or project manager in your organization, it will be your responsibility to provide hygienic Indoor Air Quality.
Studies completed by the Camfil Group have demonstrated that good Indoor Air Quality has a positive impact on people’s health and mental well-being. Better Indoor Air Quality helps to enhance cognitive performance due to improved oxygen flow. Therefore, you must familiarize yourself with what IAQ is, how it works, and how you can ensure good indoor quality in your HVAC system.
IAQ is also known as indoor environmental quality. It is a way to gauge how indoor air can impact the health, ability to work, and comfort of people working in your organization. It includes the level of humidity, temperature, lack of outside air or poor ventilation, and exposure to any chemicals or mold caused by water damage.
Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) has not stated IAQ standards to follow. However, it does offer general guidelines on how to address the most common IAQ-related issues and complaints in your workplace.
There are three sensors that your IAQ can be checked with – oxygen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. The oxygen sensor in your HVAC system is an electrochemical sensor. Any gas with a capability to oxidize is detectable using a fuel-based electrochemical sensor.
Consumption of oxygen in an HVAC system produces a (µA) current linearly proportional to the gas concentration in the air. It is worth noting here that because the oxygen sensors are in constant exposure to oxygen, the average lifespan of these sensors is between one and two years.
Similarly, a carbon monoxide sensor is also an electrochemical sensor operating on the same basic principle as your oxygen sensors. These sensors consume little amounts of gas, and a “diffusion barrier” controls the electric output due to the absorption of the gas.
A carbon dioxide sensor is significantly different - it is an infrared detector. It operates via transmitting an infrared beam through the air sample. The air absorbs the energy of the beam, which allows the sensor to determine the concentration of the carbon dioxide present in the air sample and then convert that reading into concentration levels of carbon dioxide.
Some of the most common causes of indoor pollution include:
Other leading causes may include less obvious reasons, such as:
There are ways you can detect poor Indoor Air Quality, such as:
You should measure humidity levels, airflow, and temperatures regularly. Regular inspection of HVAC systems will go a long way. Check for leaks, water damage, pest droppings, and dirt inside and outside the building. Check if roofs, AC units, and in-boiler pans are developing fungi that need eliminating.
As people return to work after the COVID-19 lockdown, it is critical to ensure that there is adequate Indoor Air Quality for your office or building environment.