Office environments - the challenges

A YouGov survey commissioned by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) reported that almost 70% of office workers believed poor air quality in their workplace harmed their day-to-day productivity and well-being.

Many modern-day office environments have many sources that contribute to indoor air pollution. Such factors include dust, carpets, furnishings, copiers, mould spores, housekeeping products and biological contaminants from ventilation systems.   

These substances create quite an unhealthy cocktail of contaminants that spread throughout the workplace, impacting employees' health and well-being.

For example, poor indoor air in a workplace may lead to impaired cognitive ability, worsened concentration, tiredness, headaches, respiratory tract irritation and sick days because of common viruses. This hurts the quality of life and the employees' energy and productivity levels.

What can you do?

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, an employer has a duty of care to ensure a safe and healthy environment. The Approved Code of Practice states that indoor air quality should be at least equal to, but ideally better than, the air outside your building.

Setting aside the legal requirements, there is a clear relationship between good health, a good, productive working environment and low rates of sickness absence. Research shows businesses that prioritise the health and wellbeing of their employees are more efficient and profitable than businesses that do not.   

Air purification solutions for health, wellbeing and productivity in offices

Indoor air quality improvements can be made by installing advanced air purifiers. These devices absorb all the existing air, capture pollutants and pathogens and replace hazardous air with clean, purified air back into the working environment multiple times an hour.