The different ways that the air quality in your workplace is affecting your health
When we think about cleaning, it is usually only about surface cleaning – floors, objects, table and other surfaces. However, the air that we breathe is as important as the surfaces and objects that we handle and touch. In our workplaces, on an average, an employee spends 90% or more of their time indoors. It is estimated that poor indoor air quality can cause sickness and this in turn can cost up to billions of dollars per year in lost productivity.
Causes for poor air quality in workplaces –
Typically, the dust found in the indoor air contain pollen, lint from carpets & upholstery, mould & fungal spores, paint, dead skin cells, diesel and petrol fumes, dust mites, etc. The two ways that a building’s occupants and also cleaners are exposed to indoor air pollution are via chemicals used in cleaning products and particulates on building surfaces while dusting and vacuuming.
How does it affect an employee in New Zealand?
Exposure to respiratory hazard products and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are often through surface sprays, detergent disinfectants, chlorine bleach, carpet spotters, air-fresheners, deodorisers, scented cleaning products, stain removers, metal, wood / floor polish and floor care products. These may cause a plethora of respiratory and other physical troubles like- coughs, irritation of the respiratory tract, allergies or occupational, asthma, headaches, drowsiness, dizziness and others.
Best ways to tackle indoor air pollution
The best ways that professional cleaning services handle and minimise air pollution in your workplaces are by using cleaning products that contain low or no VOCs, minimising the use of scented products and air-fresheners, by not dispensing chemical mists and aerosols in enclosed spaces, by removing dust effectively from all hard surfaces and by removing mould from porous surfaces.
We can also reduce volatile organic compounds by
- buying products certified by Eco-labels like Green seal certified products,
- restricting VOCs to very low levels and by using chemical-free cleaning agents,
- avoiding air-freshening cleaning / disinfectant products
- removing odours at the source or via extraction fans
- reducing chemical mists & aerosols
- increasing ventilation
- not using aerosol can sprays
- avoiding flicking dust around
- damp dusting by spraying a microfibre or cotton cloth with water or chemical and wipe in one direction
- removing mould
A professional and environmental conscious cleaner would ensure that the buildings they handle and their cleaners are protected by using these best practices at all times.
