Professor Whitty, the UK’s chief medical adviser, has weighed into the debate around improving workplace and public facility ventilation. It’s a known fact that COVID can be spread via aerosol droplets in the air, while airflow can mitigate the risk of others breathing the virus droplets in. But he insists that better ventilation will help lower the spread of COVID-19, but it would also improve health outcomes for workers in the longer term.
Ventilation & Pollution
Even before COVID was on the world stage, many workers suffered from respiratory tract infections due to stuffy, windowless, or poorly ventilated spaces.
People sit all day breathing in and out each other’s stale air, causing a host of health issues. The risks exponentially increase in major cities like London, where the pollution levels are far higher than the global regulated levels advise are safe to breathe.
Indoor air can be 3-5 times higher in pollutants than outside, but cracking a window in damp, cold weather is impossible and can cause other health issues. Hence, businesses in major cities pose a severe health risk that decreases workers’ lifespans and increases the likelihood of heart and lung diseases.
Professor Whitty encouraged business leaders, building owners, and companies to consider improving indoor air to stop COVID and create better employee working conditions.
”We have realised the extraordinary importance of improving the ventilation of workplaces – not just for Covid, but also for many other respiratory infection. If we invest in that now, we'll help the aftermath of COVID but also cut down on things like flu outbreaks.
Professor WhittyUK's Chief Medical Adviser
Expert Opinion
Experts have welcomed Whitty’s words, who agree the measures would yield significant long-term benefits, including Professor Cath Noakes. Professor Noakes is an engineer of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and teaches at Leeds University.
She has joined the call to implement a national programme to overhaul and improve building ventilation, particularly in the wake of COVID. She has cited the impact of poor ventilation on health, productivity, and longevity outcomes.
Importance of Ventilation Systems for Health
So the verdict? The COVID pandemic has just rushed to the forefront of what engineers and scientists in the sector have known for a long time. Under-ventilated buildings are a health hazard, stagnate productivity, and potentially cause life-threatening and life-shortening illnesses.
Mechanical ventilation systems are vital in combating these possibilities and are essential components in keeping buildings and the people using them healthy. Longevity and wellness outcomes now and in the future depend on a robust and filtered ventilation system in all businesses and buildings.
Furthermore, those same systems must be regularly cleaned to be free of mould, mildew, vermin, or other bacteria – this will ensure the benefits stick around for the long term.
Need Help With Your Ventilation System Cleaning?
If your business requires a ventilation check-up or clean, reach out to Grease Gone Commercial Cleaning London. We specialise in helping companies keep their ventilation systems in tiptop condition. Call us today to receive further information on how we help keep your business or venue safe.
