Coughing or Sneezing?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant changing advice from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and news outlets? Daily we are asked; How do we help people in our facility avoid coughing and sneezing? Use a commonsense approach that will not break the budget.

 

Make sure there are no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) in the air within the occupied space. VOC’s are irritants. The best way to ensure that VOC’s do not affect the space is to maintain a cleaning schedule of the facility and control the air that enters the space. Most of the air that enters facility spaces does so through the HVAC System. 

 

• Open windows if possible and the weather permits.
• Make sure that the filters are appropriate for all Air Handling Units (AHU's) and they are changed regularly. 
• You can increase the MERV rating on the filters if the AHU allows to trap smaller particles.
• Make sure the HVAC Coils are clean and all Air Handling Units (AHU’s) are running correctly.
• Make sure that the HVAC components and ductwork are clean. Dust, debris and VOC’s within the HVAC system come loose and are discharged into the spaces that it serves irritating the occupants.
• Ensure that occupants work areas are spaced out.