Health, air conditioning
and indoor climate
in offices
The indoor environmental quality of workspaces strongly impacts employees’ health and the way they experience their workplace. Climate control and air conditioning systems are often blamed for any health problems and discomfort. But assuming they are well maintained and the settings are correct, they are not the cause. In terms of the employees’ health and their happiness at work, it pays to pay attention to these systems as part of the occupational health strategy.
The top 3 of complaints related to indoor environmental and air quality in offices are: dry, itchy eyes; a dry mouth, throat and/or nose; air conditioning sickness, and finally: susceptibility to colds and respiratory problems.
Research shows that complaints about dry air and the relative humidity in offices are unrelated. Particularly in winter, dry air is a common complaint caused by air temperatures that are too high, airborne irritants or a combination of both. These complaints can partly be prevented by not heating too much during the winter months and ensuring sufficient fresh air supply.
The air conditioning system is often mentioned as the cause of health problems. If an air con is cleaned well and the settings are correct, it does not make you ill. Research by SGI Compliance shows, however, that many air conditioning systems are not maintained sufficiently and not adjusted correctly. If filters and the humidifier are not maintained regularly, contaminants, bacteria and mould grow unchecked. This may lead to colds, sore throats, flu-like symptoms, respiratory problems and running eyes. Air con temperature settings that are too low also cause problems. Too great a difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures demands extra energy and is experienced as unpleasant. The ideal difference is 5-6 0C.
The cause of employees’ health problems in the office space is not always clear-cut. A faulty design of the climate control system, incorrect or insufficient maintenance, insufficient hygiene or the absence of the possibility to adjust settings may all contribute. In addition, some thirty types of bacteria, moulds and yeasts have been proven to cause problems in office environments. SGI Compliance can detect these organisms and give microbiological insight in the air quality.
To take steps towards a healthy indoor environment or climate, the current situation needs to be assessed first. Having assessed the current values for the various indoor environmental aspects, the indoor climate class can be allocated. For this purpose, SGI Compliance conducts various types of surveys: microbiological air testing, contact sampling, physical air testing (temperature, relative humidity and CO2 levels), thermal comfort surveys using a climate set and sound and light measurements.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are the perfect breeding grounds for micro-organisms. Exposure to high levels of these organisms can cause health problems: allergic reactions, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, itchy eyes, stomach aches, dry skin and sore throats. These complaints can be mitigated by research, prevention and occupational hygiene.
SGI Compliance has its own laboratories and can take air samples and perform microbiological analyses under accreditation. Microbiological air testing gives insight in the presence of micro-organisms and the air quality, helping assess (future) problems. In cooperation with our partners, SGI Compliance helps relieve organisations by conducting indoor environmental quality, hygiene and indoor climate surveys, and making proposals for improvements.
To conduct a climate survey, a data logger is placed in a workspace. A detailed picture of the climate control system’s performance and the potential bottlenecks is obtained over time.