Ventilation plays a vital role in the running of an enclosed workplace. It helps to carry fresh, clean air through the space, keep employees happy and healthy, and maintain the efficiency of the workplace on a daily basis.
Regulations surrounding workplace ventilation have been put in place for good reason. When adhered to, any hot, humid or stale air within the space will be replaced with clean air at the right rate.
The general rule of thumb is to keep at least 5-8 litres of fresh air within the space, every second for every occupant. This goes for any air that is clean and free of impurities that could cause workers to fall ill or be unhappy with the working environment.
The vast majority of enclosed workplaces are required to have a certain amount of fresh air passing through the space. That includes anything from an office space to a commercial kitchen, a spray booth to a hospital, for example.
Without proper ventilation, it’s very difficult to get a good amount of clean air into these enclosed spaces, and with many individuals coming and going throughout the day, it’s vital to provide clean air to keep these individuals healthy.
There are some exceptions when it comes to enclosed workplaces and the standard ventilation guidelines. For example, a workplace designed for growing mushrooms needs a humid space for the product growth.
Ventilation Regulations
The Health and Safety Executive provides details of ventilation regulations, as part of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
These regulations state that any business owner or employer who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of a workplace and its staff, should regularly undertake risk assessments as a way to control or prevent any risks to their staff’s health. Part of this risk assessment involves assessing the ventilation within the workplace and working to maintain the air cleanliness within the space.
Failure to comply with health and safety regulations could result in a fine or penalty.
How to Ventilate an Enclosed Workplace
There are a number of ways in which to effectively ventilate an enclosed workplace.
The first method is through natural ventilation, which can be done with enough windows and doors throughout the space. If you’re hoping to ventilate your own workplace through natural ventilation, you must ensure that workers are kept away from any cold draughts and if needs be, that the layout of the workspace is adjusted.
The second method is through mechanical ventilation, which involves the use of air conditioning systems or extractors, for example. Mechanical ventilation requires regular servicing and a little more investment than natural ventilation. However, it’s a much more effective way of ventilating a workplace in order to achieve the workplace environment you’re hoping to achieve.
The Benefits of Proper ventilation
With proper ventilation comes a host of benefits. One of these, of course, is the prevention of any negative health effects. Additionally, workplaces can profit from proper ventilation in a few other ways:
. A good ventilation system will move the air about in a way that cools it down and provides relief to individuals.
Mould is a common concern in many workplaces. It can not only cause negative health effects, but also damage important equipment and the structure of buildings. A good airflow will control the humidity in an environment and help prevent mould from forming or spreading.
By pushing out pollutants such as dust and chemicals, ventilation will improve a space’s overall air quality and provide individuals with welcome relief.
Heat Recovery
Whilst the energy efficiency of any building can be improved with better insulation and installing things like double glazing, there is even more that business and homes can do to ensure they are making the most of the warmth in their immediate environment. The benefits of heat recovery systems that recycle the energy in stale air and transfer it to the new, fresh air coming in are numerous:
The main appeal of Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems (HRVS) is the supply of warm, fresh air in a constant flow. When you open a window to let some air in, especially in winter, you’re losing a large amount of heat that will need to be replaced.
Because you are creating a self-contained environment with a superior ventilation system, you air will be cleaner and better for you. The constant supply of warm air through the heat recovery system means you can reduce your energy costs because the environment is kept fairly constant.
The benefits of heat recovery stretch beyond just simple energy savings with a reduction in things like humidity and condensation that can cause health problems and affect walls and structures over time.
The improved air quality means that your workplace or house isn’t filled with irritants like pollen and pollution as the ventilation is filtered throughout the building.
For those who are concerned about their carbon emissions, heat recovery systems also lower the levels of carbon dioxide. The final, and perhaps one of the most important, benefits of heat recovery systems is the reduction in energy bills, because the warm air is being reconstituted, it takes the workload off your boiler or any other heating system.
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