Poor office air quality can take a toll on your employee’s well-being. From inefficient ventilation systems to prolonged exposure to mold and dust, many things can contaminate your office’s air. Making clean air in your space a priority is an easy way to keep your employees happy and healthy for years to come. If you are interested in improving your office’s air quality, consider implementing some of the following best practices.
Clean up spills and store food properly
Standing water on floors and other surfaces is an invitation for mold to make itself at home. Since the Pacific Northwest is such a wet climate, it is crucial to dry any water or spills as quickly as possible to reduce your risk of mold. Be sure to check corners, behind cabinets, and any space that may be less obvious or more difficult to reach when cleaning up, because spills in those areas are highly likely to go unnoticed. Ensuring windows are shut tightly and that there is no water coming in from the outside can also prevent water and therefore mold growth in your space.
Open food containers can also be targets for mold. Be sure to store any food in your office in the fridge or in tightly sealed containers. This is an easy way to prevent mold growth in food storage areas and keep the air quality in your office high.
Keep office air quality in mind when configuring your office layout
When moving into a new space or making office updates, air quality should be a key consideration. Using chemical paints and cleaners can deteriorate your air quality for days to come. Asking your contractor about potential hazards in products they are using can help you mitigate risk of contamination. Scheduling renovations or other updates over the weekend can also help limit your team’s exposure to these fumes.
Have a clear smoking policy in place
Tobacco products can significantly impact your office’s air quality. Because cigarette smoke takes a toll not only on the smoker’s health but on the health of those around them, ensuring smoking in your building is kept to a minimum is a great best practice to have in place. Having a designated smoking area away from the building and its ventilation system can ensure that all tobacco by-products stay outside of the office.
Though studies are still being conducted on the impact electronic cigarettes have on the air quality these smoking devices can also release nicotine and harmful particles into the air. This means including e-cigarettes in your company’s smoking policy is pertinent.
Test air quality if you are concerned
While you can take many steps to reduce risk for poor office air quality, testing your air for possible contaminants may be necessary. Because many contaminants and pollutants are colorless or too small to see, it is important to test your air quality to identify any hazards in your space. Calling an expert to do this testing for you or using a commercial testing kit are two options for getting the job done. This process will help you understand if your team is at risk and how you can mitigate any issues moving forward.
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