We all know that humidity is vaporized water in the air. Relative humidity refers to the percentage of water vapor in the air at a given temperature—the water vapor that the air is capable of holding at that temperature. When the relative humidity of a place is too high or too low, it causes health problems and discomfort. This is called ‘low air quality’, and it’s a problem for many office spaces across the UK.
Why Is Indoor Air Quality Important?
Employees average around 90% of their time indoors, and 38% of that will be spent sitting in your office space. During this period, they are breathing in air that other people are breathing, resulting in fluctuations of heat and humidity.
Poor air quality has a pretty big knock-on effect on both employee health and productivity. Indoor pollutants can cause chronic illnesses (such as higher levels of CO2). Low humidity can cause dry eyes and sore throats, and poorly filtered air can cause allergic reactions. Low air quality is known to cause headaches, physical fatigue, sinus infections and a lack of concentration among employees. This adds up to a higher rate of absenteeism for the workforce, and a much lower level of productivity. Research has shown the links between air quality, work performance and health. However, many office users are still unaware of the issue.
How Important is Indoor Air Quality in Offices?
If you want to improve the health and productivity of your workforce, you need to create an environment that is healthy and comfortable for them to work in. A lot of this has to do with the levels of humidity in their air around them, and how it changes over time.
In general, the human body is most comfortable when the relative humidity (RH) of the room ranges between 20% and 60%. The recommended average relative humidity for an indoor area is around 30-50%, when the outside temperature anything above 0. If your RH goes above 60%, you will start to get mould and mildew, which creates its own range of health problems for your employees.
Similarly, if your RH goes below 30%, you are open to more health and safety risks. For example, RH of 30% or lower can cause static electricity problems, irritations of the skin, dry eyes and drying out of the mucous membrane, which leads to upper respiratory illnesses among staff.
The key thing to remember about relative humidity is the word relative – meaning it can change over time. As the weather gets warmer or colder, you need to adjust your humidity solutions to keep the environment at a comfortable level.
How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
As we’ve already learned, one of the best ways to improve your health is to improve the quality of the air you’re breathing.
- Open your windows so that they provide cross ventilation. This will also reduce moisture and odours that tend to hang around in offices – particularly kitchens.
- Replace your air filters regularly. If your filters are clogged, air flow becomes non-existent, and dust and debris will build up in the air ducts, causing problems down the line.
- Introduce some office plants. Plants are biological air purifiers, and have been proven to improve the air quality in homes and offices. So the more greenery – the better!
- Have your air quality tested. Experts in air quality (like us) have the right tools and know-how to measure the air quality in your office, from air flow to humidity levels, ventilation and more. So they will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do to improve your air quality.
- Install a humidity control solution. Humidity control is the biggest factor in indoor air quality, and it is easily solved with the right solution. It’s a simple way to ensure your office stays at a consistent and beneficial RH level, preventing dry eyes, sore throats and reducing the spread of airborne viruses.
At Humidity Solutions, we specialise in providing professional humidity control solutions for all sorts of commercial environments, from printing rooms to chemical labs, office spaces and meeting rooms. We work closely with you to identify your needs and create a bespoke solution to fit them. What you get will help you achieve your goals and improve your air quality, in the way you need it most. To find out more, get in touch with the team today on 01372 569804, or email us at info@humiditysolutions.co.uk.
