Cold/Flu Season: Is your indoor air quality going to help or hinder health?

10/24/2017

Cold and flu season is coming. While you may be well-versed in the guidance to get flu shots, wash hands, and stock up on anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, do not overlook another important aspect of protecting your employees’ health: maintaining healthy indoor air quality. The changing climate and air pollution can make the severity of colds worse. Fall is a great time to have your air quality systems inspected and cleaned to help prevent respiratory illness and loss of productivity.

Reasons to Improve Indoor Air Quality:

Research from Johns Hopkins has shown that poor air quality can make colds worse. Both cold viruses and indoor/outdoor air pollutants trigger the body to release inflammatory agents. The effects add up, and recovery can take longer.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the flu costs an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity in the United States. That is not including the $4.6 billion cost of hospital visits and medications.
The warmer Southern California winters and increased moisture can affect the efficiency of your indoor air quality system and the health of your employees.

Tips for Improving Indoor Air Quality:

Assess your ventilation system by inspecting for conditions contributing to poor indoor air quality such as excessive moisture, dust, and chemical compounds.
Ensure HVAC elements are in good working order.
Maintain indoor humidity levels around 50%. High humidity encourages the growth of mold and microbes. Too low humidity can cause dry eyes and sinus issues.
Change air filters in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
Do not block air vents; position furniture to allow optimal air flow.
Make sure that heat generating equipment (computer or copier) is not next to thermostat because that can cause the HVAC system to deliver too much cool air.
Promptly clean up all water spills.
Clean and vacuum to prevent dust and dirt buildup.

Maintaining a cleaner and healthier indoor environment may not guarantee complete prevention of the cold and flu, but these measures can help prevent illnesses from getting worse. As an added benefit, Improved air quality helps improve work performance and reduce absences.

If you want to schedule an assessment of your indoor air quality, hire the experts at Alta Environmental! Contact David Schack, CAC, CDPH-IA at (562)-489-9762 or david.schack@altaenviron.com or Katie Aleckson at katie.aleckson@altaenviron.com.

References:

Environmental Protection Agency. (2017, February 28). An Office Building Occupants Guide to Indoor Air Quality. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/office-building-occupants-guide-indoor-air-quality.

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d). Healthy School Indoor Environments Winter E-Newsletter. Retrieved September, from https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools/healthy-school-indoor-environments-winter-e-newsletter.

Indoor Air Quality Scientific Finding Resource Bank. (n.d). Retrieved September 29, 2017, from https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/performance-cost.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2002, July 30). Research shows that air pollution increases cold symptoms. Retrieved September, from https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2002/pollution-colds.html.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2017, January 27). Influenza (flu) in the workplace. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flu/activities.html.

Scauzillo, S. (2017, September 18). ‘Winter is coming’: What do climate scientists predict for Southern California? San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from http://www.sgvtribune.com/2017/09/04/winter-is-coming-what-do-climate-scientists-predict-for-southern-california/.