Page 20 - Climate Control News magazine February 2023

Indoor Air Quality
Wanted: eco-friendly, hotel style workspace
LEFT: Staff want green areas to socialise and good ventilation.
amenities also emerged in the findings, high- lighting the need for flexible and creative use of space with features that enhance the environ- ment to make it more appealing in the post- COVID era.
These include: green space (26 per cent), bicy- cle storage (13 per cent), gym (21 per cent), changing/shower facilities (15 per cent) proving that health is important.
“STAFF WANT OPEN SPACE AND GOOD VENTILATION”
The Tork Eco Office Survey, conducted on behalf of global hygiene company Essity among 14,000 workers in seven countries found a resounding 83 per cent of employees want to see a more environmentally friendly office.
The research shows a marked increase in awareness of sustainability in people’s private lives being reflected in their workplace attitude.
Not surprisingly this has elevated Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with healthy buildings now a rou- tine part of workplace conversation.
Increased ventilation is one of the best strate- gies for reducing infectious disease transmission in buildings. It also increases productivity and reduces worker absenteeism. Your employees will be less sick and perform better. It’s a no-brainer from a business decision-making standpoint.
ABOVE: Indoor health is currently neglected.
EMPLOYEES DON’T JUST want a healthy working environment they want hotel style amenities to entice them back to the office.
Research released by MRI Software, a pro- vider of real estate software, found 64 per cent of respondents want state-of-the-art infrastruc- ture with green areas, outdoor spaces and good air conditioning.
One in ten said failure to provide the right amenities was a deal breaker.
The survey of more than 6,000 consumers includes statistically significant responses from
the United States (2,005), United Kingdom (2,004) and Australia (2,008).
Results are relatively consistent across all three markets with hybrid working forcing organisations to rethink the workplace. The majority of people want flexibility to combine work-from-home with in-office options.
When asked about specific amenities they are looking for onsite in an office, 40-50 per cent of respondents identified air conditioning, effec- tive network connectivity, and free parking.
A second tier of less common, modern
Medical profession supports indoor health
THE MEDICAL JOURNAL of Australia has published an article calling for the introduction of IAQ standards.
Most countries including Australia do not have IAQ standards although they are currently in development locally.
There is Australian Standard AS1668 and the National Construction Code which specifies ventilation system requirements for new buildings.
The article points out that indoor health is currently neglected and greater investment in buildings, schools and hospitals is required.
“The actual challenge and investment required to effect this modern reform would be much
lower than the effort required in the United Kingdom to modernise the water system because Australia already has a sophisticated building infrastructure, public health regulatory frame- works, and public health law mechanisms to support the required advances,” the article said.
“All buildings, public and private, will require modernisation, which will take time, but it is not a case of building from nothing. We must act now, starting with setting appropriate IAQ standards.”
The Medical Journal of Australia is the official journal of the Australian Medical Association and has been delivering research to the medical community since 1914.
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