What really matters to buildings and people

Resumption of companies' work

Now that companies and business centers are gradually resuming operations, the main question that concerns both employees and managers of management companies is how to ensure the safety of staying in the building?
If you look at Maslow's pyramid - the need for security is fundamental to human beings. The main tasks of our workplace - to make us productive, to provide comfort and a good mood - without the implementation of the basic need for safety, these tasks can not be performed.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide 100% protection against COVID-19 in a building, but there are some specific steps that can be taken to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Following these steps will ensure that the indoor environment is inhospitable to the virus and prevents the spread of the disease.

Next, let's talk about the specific steps for creating quality indoor air in a building and the research that has been done in this area.

Indoor air quality and viral pathways
he most well-known way infections and viruses are spread is through airborne droplets. There are usually a lot of people indoors - and we all breathe and may cough and sneeze.

When you sneeze, many droplets are released into the space - some of them are very large and quickly settle on surfaces (so it is important to wipe them off regularly), but along with the larger particles, very tiny droplet-like cell nuclei also enter the air - they can remain suspended in the air for a very long time. If such particles are present in a building with an HVAC system that recirculates the air through the building, there is a high risk of them spreading throughout the building.

The HVAC system can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Often an HVAC system will pull air out of a room, heat or cool it, and then recirculate it throughout the building, while allowing very little fresh air to enter from outside - which can cause a virus to spread.

The best way to ensure that a room is efficiently ventilated - with large volumes of fresh air coming in from outside, filtered with high quality air, and then mixed with the air already in the room - is to then have the HVAC system serve as a tool to minimize the risk of spread of disease in the building.

A 2019 study concluded that properly working ventilation can be as effective at mitigating the effects of disease outbreaks as vaccinating about half of the population. Although this conclusion was reached in a study of another disease, it is also relevant for COVID 19.

A study was also conducted for buildings with only natural ventilation in conjunction with the 2004 SARS-CoV coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong.

The results of this study showed that being on a floor higher than the floor with contaminated air had a greater risk of infection than being on the floor below. This is because the warm air rises and carries the virus to the upper floors. This once again shows the close connection between air movement and the spread of disease.

For COVID-19, a new RNA study of the virus has also been conducted, which has tentatively proven that the new coronavirus can spread through suspended particles, which can also be in the air inside a building.

Ways to monitor air quality
Special devices now exist to easily monitor key indoor air quality indicators.
To control the risk of virus spread, it is important to monitor several basic parameters. For example, the parameters of suspended particles, since the latest studies have previously proven the possibility of COVID-19 transfer through them.
Also an important parameter to monitor is the relative humidity of the air. The recommended figure at which the risk of spreading the virus is reduced is 40-60%. Also when we are in a room with these values we have a greater resistance to viruses and infections.

CO2 is another interesting indicator to track. It is emitted when a person breathes and its level is a good indicator of occupancy. CO2 levels will show how well the ventilation works, whether standards for the number of people in meeting rooms and other small rooms are not violated (such standards may now be introduced along with the rule of social distance). All this also has a direct bearing on the risks of infection.
The last parameter - the content of volatile organic particles (VOC) - is rather unexpected for this topic, because it reflects the content of chemicals in the air. Indeed, it does not directly influence the spread of the virus, but one thing that can be noticed in relation to COVID 19 is that cleanings that involve the use of chemicals have become more frequent.
Therefore, it is necessary to plan cleaning schedules more carefully, if possible during off-hours or hours with the least amount of people present, so as not to expose employees and visitors to harmful effects.

Conclusion
Indoor air quality has a direct impact on the safety of rooms in a COVID 19 pandemic. Implementing and monitoring the following steps will help minimize the risk of infection and further spread of the virus.

1. Ventilation. Ensure fresh air is supplied and circulated through mechanical ventilation or airing. Monitor CO2 levels regularly and ensure that incoming air is filtered.

2. Monitor humidity levels - optimum relative humidity is 40-60%.
Measure your suspended particles and try to reduce their distribution throughout the building (e.g. by providing ventilation filtration in the kitchen area).

Measure VOC levels during cleaning and, if possible, conduct them after hours or during hours when the office is least crowded so that visitors and employees are not at risk of negative exposure due to frequent cleaning.

In the current post-coronavirus environment, high indoor air quality goes from "desirable" to "mandatory."

Measuring, understanding and optimizing indoor air quality is key to keeping people safe in the current environment and an indicator of each company's responsibility and concern for its employees and the world's problem.

Tags: #well #leed #healthybuildings