How Clean Air in the Workplace Can Boost Productivity
Did you know that as many as 90% of dust and mold particles found in the US, present a poisoning risk to humans? Dust and mold are more than just an unsightly and inconvenient problem in our homes and businesses, they’re a hazard that if left unchecked, can aggravate allergies, cause respiratory problems and myriad other health concerns for people.
Below are just some of the problems both you and your employees can expect to encounter, if the air ducts in your commercial premises aren’t being cleaned often enough, if at all:
- Increase in allergens
Invisible to the naked eye, airborne allergens such as dust and pollen can wreak havoc on anyone being regularly exposed to significant numbers of them, and over time, this exposure can make individuals very sick. Healthy people may experience itchy eyes, a runny nose and a sore throat, while for anyone with a compromised immunity or existing allergies, airborne allergens can aggravate symptoms and even cause a number of respiratory illnesses. In the worst-case scenario, some individuals may even require hospitalization.
- Risk of infection
Mold and mildew spores can be particularly dangerous when individuals are exposed to them over long periods of time. If your air ducts aren’t being cleaned often enough – if at all – then there could be a build-up of mold and mildew inside them, causing the very air your employees are breathing to become dangerous over time. Lung infections caused by frequent or prolonged exposure to mold and mildew spores can be potentially deadly, and no employer wants to expose their workers to this.
Mold infections can also cause a range of symptoms for those already suffering from allergies, such as headaches, sneezing and coughing. If your business is in a particularly humid region, or the nature of the products you manufacture lead to a warm, damp environment, there could very well be mold and mildew in the air ducts.
Simply put, you don’t want mold or mildew anywhere in your building, least of all in your air ducts.
- Reduction in productivity
It goes without saying that if your employees are breathing in polluted air from the dirty air ducts in a building or room, they’re not going to be able to work to as high a standard. Their concentration will likely be impaired, they may suffer from frequent headaches, itchy eyes or a cough, all of which make it hard to work productively. In some cases, the air may be so unclean that employees are forced to take sick leave or are even hospitalized.
Are the air ducts in your workspace being cleaned frequently, or could you be exposing your employees to the dangers of excess dust and mold spores? Cleaning the ducts regularly can also help prevent fires and improve the overall quality of the air. Why is this so important? Because if your employees aren’t breathing clean air, there’s no way they’re going to be as productive, and that spells bad news not just for the employee, but for you and your business as a whole.