Working in an office can be a rather fun experience, especially if you love your job and the people you work with. However, there can be a lot of challenges as well. One of the most common challenges people face in an office is poor indoor air quality. At first, this might sound surprising, but when you think about it, it is very plausible. People spend a third of their day at work. This means that they are sitting in a closed office for eight hours, with the rest of the colleagues in it.
This is a lot of breathing and different smells. Not to mention the external factors, like dust and smoke. When you put it this way, it is easy to see how air quality in the office can deteriorate.
Having said this, let’s see how you can improve the indoor air quality in your office.
Remove Any Blocks in Your Air Vents
Air vents are usually located somewhere out of sight or somewhere they won’t represent a problem for office workers. However, some workers tend to leave their personal belongings and other items in front of the air vents, thus blocking them by mistake. This, of course, disrupts the airflow and, as a result, you have stale air in your office. Therefore, if you notice that the air quality in your work environment has deteriorated, check your air vents first. If they are blocked, unblock them. In case this doesn’t fix your problem, make sure to consult some professionals.
Call HVAC Professionals to Check Your Air Ducts
If you suspect that your air ducts are faulty or that they have to be cleaned, make sure to call for professional help to resolve this problem. Even if you don’t know exactly what the problem is, feel free to consult an expert HVAC technician. These workers install, maintain, and repair the heating, ventilation, and air condition. Hence the name. To find out more about how these experts can help you, you can research and read some online resources. They have a lot of skills, so it is safe to say they will do a good job assessing the situation in your workplace.
Replace Your Air Filters Regularly
It doesn’t matter how clean your office is, there is a lot of dust and debris in the air. This means that your air filters will clog at some point. If this happens, the fresh air won’t be able to come into your office and the stale air will remain there. This, of course, poses a certain health risk to the workers. Not to mention the unpleasant smell.
To avoid this problem, you have to replace your air filters regularly. The experts recommend that you do this every 6 to 12 months.
Control Humidity Levels in Your Office
A high level of humidity is one of the most common causes of mold in closed working environments. Needless to say, mold can damage the respiratory system of workers. To prevent this from happening, make sure to use dehumidifiers and air conditioners to dry the air. Controlling the humidity level in your workspace is one of the best ways to improve air quality and protect your employees.
Clean Your Workspace Regularly
People who work behind a desk often eat snacks during the day. Considering that they are sitting in front of the computer for eight hours a day, this is completely understandable. However, this also means there might be some garbage and crumbs in the office. This doesn’t sound like too big of a deal, but if the workplace is not cleaned regularly, this debris could mix with the air and cause some health problems.
Therefore, make sure to thoroughly clean your office at least once a week. If this is too much of a hassle for you or if you don’t have time for it, you can always hire a professional cleaning crew for this job.
Get Some Office Plants
Let’s be realistic, the plants won’t drastically improve the air quality in your office. However, if your air ducts and air condition are working properly, the plants will make the air fresher. Also, they will make your workspace aesthetically pleasing.
If you are working in an indoor office, providing your employees with good air quality is paramount. It keeps your workers healthy. This should be your number one priority, especially today amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is surely not a simple task, but the above-mentioned tips will help you do it, and the result is indeed worth it.