Air Quality in the Workplace: The Intersection of Public Health, Productivity, and Quality of Life at Work

Can indoor air quality be linked to quality of life at work? Yes… if we start from the premise that air is life, and that attention to health in the workplace is one of the components of quality of life at work.

Measuring CO2 levels and fine particulate matter to anticipate needs, ensure proper ventilation, and use air purifiers to eliminate pollutants—as well as the overall optimization of indoor air quality (IAQ) in offices, open-plan spaces, and any individual or shared areas—are now major priorities for organizations. This is especially true in light of the challenges associated with the transition to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and recruitment issues.

Indoor air quality, along with workplace design and comfort, are all part of quality of life at work

 

With the end of widespread remote work in February 2022 and the return to the office following a long period of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees’ expectations have changed. The comfort of workspaces—whether individual or shared—was already a factor that companies in France had begun to address before the pandemic.

They are now even more critical than ever, often including health-related reassurances, for any organization that is deeply committed to the well-being of its employees and, by extension, to its employer brand.

Driven by a broader movement centered on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—whose five pillars encompass both social and environmental aspects—the integration of Quality of Life at Work into such a process depends first and foremost on each organization’s ability to adapt the approach to its specific context.

This is structured around three main sections that set the framework:

• Employment and working conditions, including health, with a focus on occupational hazards and the effectiveness of preventive measures
• Ability to express oneself and take action
• Scope of Work

As NatéoSanté notes NatéoSanté its white paper on indoor air quality in the service sector, “the invisible has become a key issue for health and workplace well-being.” Here are a few figures to illustrate the connection with a QWL approach:

• People spend between 80% and 90% of their time indoors
• Indoor air is eight times more polluted than outdoor air
• The indoor air breathed in an open-plan office is said to be 10 to 20 times more polluted than outdoor air (Purdue University – 2019)

These are factors worth considering in light of the vital importance of air—even more so than water—given that the average person breathes in 15,000 liters of it every day!

Measuring Indoor Air Quality and Its Link to Cognitive Performance

The effects of poor air quality in the workplace have been the subject of several studies. One of the most recent of these was published in September 2021 by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

It highlights the effects of indoor air pollution on cognitive performance.

The research study lasted one year and involved tracking more than 300 people, aged 18 to 65, across 6 countries and 40 office buildings, with on-site presence at least three days a week.

Studies show a link between indoor air quality and cognitive performance

Each participant in the field study thus went about their daily activities in an environment where the following levels were monitored in real time:

• PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter
• CO2
• Temperature
• Humidity

If PM2.5 and CO2 levels exceeded a predetermined threshold, the "subject" was required to take two cognitive tests via a dedicated mobile app.

“The results show that increases in PM2.5 levels were associated with acute declines in cognitive function,” summarizes Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, the study’s lead author, as quoted by AFP.

“This is the first time we’ve observed these short-term effects in young adults. The study also confirmed the negative impact of low ventilation rates on cognitive function. Overall, the study suggeststhat poor indoor air quality affects health and productivity far more than we previously understood.”

Indoor air quality monitoring, air circulation, ventilation, and professional air purifiers for a comprehensive system

According to the latest 2022 Brand Engagement Barometer (Season 3), conducted by Cision, “89% of the commitments chosen and championed by companies relate to internal eco-friendly practices and… 70% to employee well-being.” This makes it the top priority.

How can we improve quality of life at work? When it comes to health, under normal working conditions without specific sources of pollution—which is the case for many standard service-sector jobs—poor indoor air quality is a recognized cause of headaches or migraines, potential eye irritation, sneezing (and even more discomfort for people with allergies during pollen season), and fatigue.

Poor indoor air quality can lead to difficulty concentrating, headaches, fatigue, and other symptoms.

Installing an indoor air quality monitor is a first step toward tracking CO2 levels (an indicator of confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic), fine particulate matter, and more… The article“Workspaces: Why Improve Indoor Air Quality” by NatéoSanté outlines the regulations, permissible thresholds, and the main pollutants identified, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can be emitted by building materials, furniture, office supplies, printer inks, and more…

Consideration should be given to the ability to make information visible to staff, whether through an LED display or, for example, by automatically sending an alert via a collaborative messaging system when an alert threshold—such as 800 ppm of CO2—is exceeded.

Going a step further, the use of open data makes it possible to make predictions—such as a scenario for outdoor fine particulate matter pollution based on sunlight, wind, and other factors—by cross-referencing current data with historical data.

The second step is well known:

• Open the windows to let in fresh air, if the room allows it (windows)
• Use mechanical ventilation (single- or dual-flow CMV) to reduce CO2 levels and humidity, and dilute pollutants… but they won’t be completely eliminated!

With the addition of a HEPA air purifier as the third step, the system is complete: pollutants are captured, filtered, and eliminated to ensure healthy air for the building’s occupants. Here again, data sharing can be essential to maintaining a sense of general reassurance, as health and safety concerns are now deeply ingrained in all of us.

A professional air purifier will remove various sources of pollution from indoor air

Ensuring good indoor air quality is one of the key factors in workplace well-being

Assuming, then, that solutions to improve indoor air quality have an immediate impact on quality of life at work, the use of professional air purifiers made in France—eco-designed and guaranteed to be safe—such as those developed and manufactured by NatéoSanté, will also reinforce the employer’s credibility and impact with regard to its stakeholders.

Beyond individual performance—which drives collective performance (by preserving employees’ health and maintaining focus)—in a labor market that can be tight in certain sectors, such as the tech industry, implementing a comprehensive process to improve workplace air quality will help retain employees. It’s a win-win!

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