99 percent of people on Earth breathe air that contains pollutants, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared, blaming poor air quality for millions of deaths each year. While many of us think that air pollution is solely an outdoor issue, an increasing number of scientific research has shown that the air indoors – the air within homes, offices and other buildings can be more polluted than the ambient air, especially in the most industrialized locations.
While poor indoor air quality may be less visible than most outdoor air pollutants, indoor air pollution, in many different ways, can be more harmful to human health.
To ensure the quality of the air that we breathe indoors is safe and free from air pollution, below are the indoor air quality inspection checklist that facility managers and building occupants can follow:
Indoor Air Quality Inspection Checklist for Commercial Buildings
IAQ Checklist for Occupants
Every occupant inside a building can greatly affect indoor air quality. Daily activities like using printers, photocopiers and even sanitizing products release chemicals and gasses into the air that may cause pollution. To control potential air quality issues, here are some things that everyone in the building can do:
- Check if air vents and grilles are blocked. This makes the HVAC system’s performance balanced and or will not disrupt the ventilation of a neighboring office.
- Furniture and other materials like boxes shall be placed away from air vents as this may hamper proper air flow.
- Follow the company’s smoking policy and smoke in designated areas only.
- Water spills shall be avoided. Water creates an ideal environment for molds and fungi to grow and accumulate which can cause air quality problems.
- Dispose waste properly to prevent odors and contamination.
- Perishable products are kept off office desks or on enclosed shelves, spoiled food can generate odors. Clean up food crumbs and store food properly to keep away pests.
IAQ Checklist for Building Managers
In rented spaces, the office manager or the property owner is often the one in charge of managing the indoor air quality inside the building. Some of the things that this person can follow to improve indoor air include:
- A smoke-free policy inside the office is established and well-ventilated smoking rooms need are provided
- As much as possible, avoid purchasing products and conducting activities that can cause indoor air quality issues.
- Seek help from air quality professionals before conducting renovations, redesign and remodeling activities.
- Check for obvious pollutant sources such as humidifiers, furniture, decorations, stack of papers or carpets, water stains and visible mold.
- Check if diffusers, fans and dampers are clean and working properly.
- Check potential sources of mold, air blockage and stagnant water outdoors or near the facility.
- Conduct regular HVAC system inspections and calibration
- Monitor the level of pollutants like temperature and humidity in your environment. Imbalances may contribute to virus and bacteria accumulation.
- Determine how often your office should be vacuumed to remove dust and allergens
- Follow air filter replacement recommendations and schedule
The average human being spends nearly 90% of his time in built establishments, this makes a good reason why the air quality in these establishments shall be kept healthy. Along with the indoor air quality inspection checklist above, indoor air quality sensors like the uHoo Aura can effectively serve as a guide to identify the overall status of IAQ inside buildings and stop the potential sources of indoor air pollution.
uHoo Aura monitors 13 different factors affecting indoor environments – temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, various particle sizes (PM10, PM4, PM2.5, PM1), carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and more, so building owners and occupants can identify issues relating to air quality and customize solutions based on the building needs.
Get a consolidated view of all the uHoo Aura devices installed different areas of the facility through a simplified dashboard, set up alerts and push notifications on possible air issues in the building and get the option to present IAQ data via building screen, which is necessary to cultivate transparency, trust and confidence to building staff and tenants.
Keep your building healthy, check your indoor air quality with uHoo Aura today!
References:
To Improve Your Office Air Quality Use This Indoor Air Quality Inspection Checklist. (n.d.). United States. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/checklist-how-improve-manage-indoor-air-quality-office-environments
US EPA,OAR,ORIA,IED. (2019, January 18). An Office Building Occupants Guide to Indoor Air Quality | US EPA. US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/office-building-occupants-guide-indoor-air-quality
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Walkthrough Inspection Checklist Inspection activity. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://district.public.sd35.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/05/IAQ-Investigation-Inspection-Checkist-PDF.pdf
Nearly entire global population breathing polluted air: WHO. (n.d.). CNA. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/nearly-entire-global-population-breathing-polluted-air-world-health-organization-2607106
