Clean air in the office

Table of contents

The importance of clean air
Spaces where clean air is important
How do you keep indoor air clean?
Air purifiers from Fellowes

Introduction

Clean air is important, as almost everyone knows. But where, and why? That question is more difficult to answer. In this blog, we provide you with all the information you need and show you our top products that help you keep the air clean in the office, in a learning environment or in healthcare.

The importance of clean air

We spend 90% of our time indoors. Whether that's at the office or just at home, we don't often get out into the fresh air. You may never have thought about it, but the air indoors can sometimes be up to five times more polluted than the air outside.

Offices, learning environments and healthcare institutions are full of people and are therefore breeding grounds for bacteria, viruses, dust and odours. Opening a window (if there is one) often improves air flow and therefore air quality, but this is far from enough to completely clean the air.

The consequence of poor air quality is that employees, students or patients breathe in impure air. This can lead to a low oxygen percentage in the air, which impairs metabolism in the brain and makes it more difficult to concentrate on your work. Respiratory problems, asthma and allergies are the main reasons for visiting a doctor or general practitioner every year.

It is estimated that these complaints cost Dutch employers approximately €11.5 billion in sick leave. These are costs incurred because an employee is (long-term) ill. This amounts to €3521 per sick employee. It is estimated that complaints related to poor air quality are responsible for 24.6 million days of absenteeism per year.

Spaces where clean air is important

Of course, it would be nice if the air quality were at the right level everywhere. After all, we have explained above why this is so important. However, there are locations where it is just that little bit more important to have good air quality. We have listed them for you below.

Offices

A small office of 15 m² can easily accommodate 4 employees (3.75 m² per person). The larger an office space is, the less space there is per employee. It is often the case that the more people there are in one room, the dirtier and less oxygenated the air becomes. This is because we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. The cleaner the air in the indoor environment, the better you can concentrate on your work.

Learning environment

High air quality is also very important in a classroom or other learning environment. An average classroom in the United Kingdom is approximately 50 m², which works out to 1.7 m² per pupil for 30 pupils, which is considerably less than in an office environment. This means more people in a smaller environment, which leads to less clean air. This is also very important here.

Research has shown that clean air improves learning ability. In a test involving computer tasks in which 200 students participated, it was found that they responded significantly faster and more accurately when the room was ventilated more often.

Healthcare institutions

In healthcare institutions such as hospitals or (elderly) care centres, clean air is perhaps even more important. These places often house many people with weaker health. What is a simple flu for the average person can be fatal for some of them. Hygiene, including air purification, is of great importance here.

Other locations

Finally, there are other locations where clean air is particularly important. Think, for example, of the living environment of people with asthma or allergies. It is also important to purify the air in rooms where unpleasant odours often linger. Think, for example, of toilet facilities, changing rooms, or the interns' office (read: the smell of toasties and deodorant).

How do you keep indoor air clean?

Ventilation

Unfortunately, the options for keeping indoor air clean are not that extensive, but it is certainly possible. For example, you can ventilate well by opening doors and windows (opposite each other) to create air flow. Is it too cold to open the window? Then do it during breaks when employees or students are elsewhere, such as during lunch or when changing classrooms (in secondary schools).

Air-purifying plants

Plants undergo photosynthesis. In simple terms, this can be compared to human breathing. Humans take in oxygen and exhale CO₂. Plants, however, do the opposite; they convert CO₂ back into oxygen. This improves air quality. It is therefore a good idea to place various plants in your working environment. You can find 5 ideal office plants on our tips page.

Air purifiers

If none of the above options are feasible, you could consider purchasing an air purifier. This filters the indoor air, removing odours, bacteria, viruses, allergens and other impurities from the working environment. You can read more about this below.

Air purifiers from Fellowes

Fellowes AeraMax air purifiers are designed to remove up to 99.97% of pollutants such as odours, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens from the air. This is achieved by means of a filter consisting of four components:

• Activated carbon filter
• Hybrid filter
• Pre-filter
• H13 True HEPA

Ergowerken currently has three air purifiers in its range. The main difference between these three is the room size for which the air purifier is suitable. You can easily compare them in the table below. Would you like to find out more about a particular model? Then click on the product name (column 'Device'). This will take you to the relevant product page where you can read all the detailed information.