Office Air Quality

Air Quality In The Office


Our clients have found a massive increase of 53% in productivity and a 32.7% reduction in sick days.



We spend about 90% of our time indoors,

so air quality is paramount to our

comfort and health.

What Does 'Internal Air Quality Mean?


Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the ‘quality’ of the air within an indoor space. ‘Quality’ here can be loosely understood as how ‘fresh’ or how ‘clean’ the air is. More scientifically, we are talking about the absence of air pollutants ranging from animal dander to dust floating around in the air and the level of circulation of this air throughout the entire building. Improving on these two fronts equates to less sneezing and more restorative breaths of fresh air.

Make sure your office air quality is the best it can be

How Does Air Quality in the Office Affect Comfort and Productivity?

Greener office environments are linked with higher cognitive functioning across the board. Fresh air increases our ability to reason, retain information, and maintain focus. Enhancing the air quality within the office benefits job performance overall. In fact, a green office environment is correlated with a cognitive performance score of double that of a typical office environment where the air is not ‘fresh’ or cleaned of pollutants and circulating properly.


On the other hand, a poorly ventilated room filled with people breathing the same air is a recipe for ill health.


“Readily available, energy efficient technology can turn office buildings into human resource tools that improve the health and productivity of the people inside.”- John Mandyck, UTC Chief Sustainability Officer.

Full Internal Air Quality Assessments

At Ultra Protect, we provide a full Air Quality Assessment complete with a detailed report on particles identified within your office space. This identifies what the issues are, the reasons for them, and what needs to be done to fix them. From here, we create a bespoke solution for your office and include product recommendations like air purifiers, air filters, proactive air quality monitoring, heat recovery and more.

The Health Benefits of Fresh Air

Fresh air can restore energy, relieve stress, and create a happier, calmer state of mind. 

The research is conclusive. Fresh air increases oxygen flow in the body, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, strengthens the immune system, cleans the lungs, relieves stress, energises the body, and sharpens the mind through greater oxygen exchange. 


Conversely, because air pollutants trigger asthma, allergies, and flu-like symptoms, removing them is a fool-proof way to boost the comfort, health, and well-being of an entire office’s fleet of workers through a singular focus.


Like a Breath of Fresh Air

Fresh air revitalises us so we can perform at our best.

Book An Air Quality Assessment Today!

Every day we take up to 23,040 breaths. In an office environment where we are in close proximity to each other, high concentrations of CO2 can build up if the air is not ventilated properly – as well as a high humidity.


Too high humidity can cause mould growth, too low, (as research shows) has been linked to the spread of virus. Researchers for the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that when humidity levels were at 23%, 70 to 77% of flu virus particles were still able to cause an infection an hour after coughing – the ideal humidity rate is between 30 – 60% for a healthy indoor environment.


How to Improve Office Air Quality

As office employees are gradually returning to work after the last couple of years issues, around 86% have said they consider air quality one of the most important factors in their workplace.


It’s important to understand the Air Quality issues and how to deal with them. If you do not know what they are then how can you?


● It’s important to understand what your Air Quality situation is.

● What are the required levels of Air Quality?

● How can they be achieved?


To achieve this, an Internal Air Quality (IAQ) Management System needs to be implemented and a IAQ assessment needs to be carried out – to give you control of the issue.

This will enable you to: -


● Eliminate the sources of air pollutants.

● Improve the office’s ventilation system.

● Use UVC air cleaners and purifiers in the space.


As you or your team takes on each step in the pursuit of fresher air in the office, appreciate that clean, fresh air is a multi-faceted shared responsibility with an enlivening shared benefit. All within the office play an important part in reporting any air quality concerns and keeping the office clean, together.

We Specialise in Air Quality Assessments

Air quality testing is important to help ensure your buildings safety and compliance to the latest legal requirements.

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  • Eliminate the sources of pollutants in the office

    • Avoid bringing products and equipment into the office that could off gas harmful VOC’s.
    • Ensure smoking policy is respected.
    • Store food properly.
    • Clean water spills promptly.
    • Remove garbage routinely.
    • Clean the office regularly.
    • Use cleaning products that are ‘natural’ or low in VOC’s.

  • Improve the office’s ventilation system

    • Open windows when possible if your away from a busy town or city.
    • Keep air vents and grilles open and unblocked.
    • Maintain and clean air filters, air cleaners, and HVAC systems -- regularly inspecting air ducts
    • Plan the space’s furniture layout around airflow, ensuring fresh air is brought to each worker.
    • Run fans to increase air circulation.
    • Maintain a humidity level between 30-60%

  • Why is Ventilation essential in a building?

    Ventilation is essential in a building. In simple terms, ventilation removes stale air and replaces it with “fresh” air.  Air becomes stale from a build-up of many contaminants including moisture, volatile organic compounds (VOCs – chemicals emitted as gases from paint, furniture, carpets and building materials), bacteria and carbon dioxide generated from people breathing. 


    Ventilation can also be used to regulate the temperature of the building as well and Heat Recovery systems, which are a great way to control your energy bills.

  • Use UVC air cleaners and purifiers in the space

    • Invest in high-quality room UVC air purifiers to remove the dust, odours, VOC, Co2 and pathogens.
    • Maintain office plants.
    • Use quality vacuum systems with HEPA and UVC filtration.
    • Lay down mats in every doorway to trap soils and particles.
    • Use microfiber dust mops and cloths.

  • What are UVC Air Purifiers

    UVC Air Purifiers are powerful pollutant-trapping machines that make a world of a difference for people who have allergies, asthma and pathogens – including viruses.


    Additionally, there are models designed specifically for the desktop that take up little space, are energy-efficient, and run quietly.

Fresh Air is a Shared Responsibility with a Shared Benefit

Note that your employees are often the first to notice any odours or uncomfortably hot and stuffy work rooms indicative of an air quality issue. Encouraging them to report any concerns or complaints is one of your best lines of defence in protecting and improving the air - for everyone’s comfort and enjoyment.



And because the factors that contribute to indoor air quality are diverse -- ranging from the quality of air flow afforded through fans to the presence or absence of dust and mould -- there are opportunities at numerous levels to make improvements. Through good housekeeping in the form of routine cleaning, for instance, regular maintenance of the HVAC system, and use of the right products like air purifiers that remove pollutants on the spot for an immediate benefit -- cleaner air is within reach.


We can assess your building for the following:

● CO2 Levels


● Carbon Monoxide Levels


● Nitrogen Dioxide


● Particulate matter (2.5- & 10-micron counts)


● Temperature


● Humidity


● Microbiological counts


● Ventilation flow rates / Air changes

CO2 Levels in the workplace

● CO2 levels are measured in parts per million (ppm) with the recommended indoor level capped at around 600 ppm.


● Unfortunately most office environments have an existing level between 1000 – 2500ppm – where studies show that an

employee’s performance will drop between 35 and 60% dependant on the activity.


● This increases to 91% where levels exceed 2500ppm.

Facts on Air Pollution

● Air pollution is one of the UK’s (and the world’s) biggest killers.


● The smallest particles are the most dangerous – these are generally INVISIBLE to the eye.


● Worldwide, the human costs of indoor and outdoor air pollution are terrible - millions of premature deaths each year are linked to air pollution.


● Children are most vulnerable to air pollution.


● A child born today might not breathe clean air until they are 8.


● Most areas of the UK are breaking WHO and UK limits on air pollution.


● Air pollution causes up to 36,000 early deaths a year in the UK.


● Invisible pollution claims more than 9,000 early deaths each year in London.


● London’s air is some of the dirtiest in Europe. In 2016 the government was ordered by the High Court to come up with a plan to clean up air across the UK in the shortest possible time.


● ONLY 5 days into 2017, annual air pollution limits in parts of London were breached for the WHOLE YEAR.


● Being inside a building can be more dangerous for your health as air quality internally is generally 5 times worse.


● Air pollution costs the UK £20 billion a year.

Solutions at Ultra Protect

Under the current Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, an employer has a duty of care to ensure that a safe and healthy environment is provided. The Approved Code of Practice accompanying the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, states that indoor air quality should be at least equal to, but ideally better than, the air outside your building and that all commercial premises must have an Air Quality Management system in place. To achieve this then an Air Quality Assessment would need to be completed.


The Internal Air Quality Assessment report is effectively an internal Risk Assessment of your property, laying out in simple terms what the existing Air Quality state of play is, the reasons why and how it can be improved with both short and longer-term measures. It is a report that will give you control of your Air Quality situation and will allow you to control the improvements based on the risk factor.

  • What we can do to Help

    ✓ Carry out a full site Air Quality Risk Assessment.


    ✓ Attend site to give advice & solutions.


    ✓ Supply, install and commission all equipment bespoke to your premises.


    ✓ Provide service packages to maintain the life expectancy and performance of your air movement solutions.


    ✓ Training include system control options and use.


    ✓ Help YOU provide a Cleaner, Healthier and more Productive Workplace


  • Solution

    ✓ Pro-active Air Quality Monitoring for control of your air quality and building air movement systems.


    ✓ V-Mass and VSC solution ducting purification system for ducted ventilation retrofit or new systems.

     

    ✓ UVC Air Purification – wall, ceiling, floor, desk or within the ducted system.


    ✓ Dust Management solutions – at source, in the air or on the surface.


    ✓ Ventilation, Air Handling Systems and Heat Recovery products.


    ✓ Air Cooling Solutions.


    ✓ Infection control solutions for the Air and Surface.


    ✓ Supply, install and commission all equipment bespoke to your premises.


    ✓ Provide service packages to maintain the life expectancy and performance of your air movement & sanitisation solutions


Book Your Air Quality Assessment

We have the expertise and products to provide solutions for a cleaner, fresher and healthier environment for us to work in.