Office Air Quality Testing
Office air quality assessments to improve well-being, concentration and productivity
Office Air Quality Testing
Office air quality assessments to improve well-being, concentration and productivity
Maintaining good air quality in the office is essential for the well-being, concentration and productivity of your team. Problems with air quality are often relatively easy to fix but can greatly improve the workplace.
We can conduct office air quality audits that include tests for air circulation and toxins and recommendations on how to improve your air quality.
An office air quality test is recommended when:
- People are experiencing health effects, feeling drowsy or losing concentration
- You require accountability of the building owner to ensure good ventilation and air quality
- You are a business owner and need to ensure workplace risks are managed
- Particles or particulate (total, 2.5 µm, 4 µm, 10 µm)
- Ultrafine, diesel and black carbon particulate
- Combustion gases (CO, CO2, NO, NO2, SO2)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Formaldehyde, aldehydes
- Biological – fungus/mould and bacteria, dust mites
- Ozone
- Metal fumes
The pollutants found in office air can be a risk to health if not removed. The effects are often similar to a common cold. As the concentration increases, the effects become more pronounced and last longer.
Pollutants can be found in office air. These can be:
- Introduced from outside air
- Generated by the occupants
- From printers, furniture and other office contents
An air quality assessment will determine how many toxins are present and how many are flushed out by the air exchange system.
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Air movement
- Noise
- Light
- Cold-like symptoms – headache, fatigue, congestion, coughing, sneezing
- Respiratory symptoms – shortness of breath, aggravation of asthma
- Dryness, irritation – eyes, nose, throat
Individual sensitivity is known to vary. Some people who have pre-existing medical conditions are often more vulnerable.
- How much fresh air (not recycled air) is being delivered in the breathing zone
- Air intake minimum distance from source of contamination
- Level of pollution of the outdoor air – affects the filtration required.
- Ratings of filters used
- Concentration of toxins present
- Who is affected in offices
- How close a person is in relation to possible sources of toxins
- What the effects are and when do they occur and for how long
- Do the symptoms go away when a person is away from the office?
Ideally, an office air quality assessment should be done over a number of days. This is because:
- It will improve understanding of day-to-day variations
- Some processes in an office change; a longer assessment will increase the chance of capturing those
- The number of people in the office can vary