Since allergens can cause coughing, sneezing, and other unpleasant side effects, it can be hard to get anything done at work. Here are some tips on how to reduce the presence of allergens in your commercial building.
Spring won’t fully arrive for several weeks, and yet warmer temperatures are going to start becoming more frequent. Even if it only seems like an outlier because of late winter, the warmth also encourages natural allergens to return. But since allergens can cause coughing, sneezing, and other unpleasant side effects, it can be hard to get anything done at work. Here are some tips on how to reduce the presence of allergens in your commercial building.
Get Rid of Dust
Dust can collect anywhere inside your commercial building.After all, offices are busy places where the dust can find a convenient home since everyone is so focused on completing work-related tasks that even simple cleaning might go unaddressed. Dust that accumulates at home can also be brought into the workplace when employees come in, and it can settle almost anywhere – especially on carpets, furniture, and desks. Your best defenses are regular carpet-cleaning treatments, microfiber dusting of workspaces, and deploying a high-efficiency particulate air cleaner, also known as a HEPA unit.
Minimize Exposure to Pet Hair
On occasion, your employees might bring their pets into the building to visit for the day. Visitors might also require support animals to help guide them around the premises. Either way, another method for reducing the allergens inside your commercial building has to do with minimizing exposure to pet hair. Since anyone can be allergic to cats, dogs, or both, this point is an important one to keep in mind. No matter what type of pet your employees could have, the hair will stick to their clothes and bags, and they might not be able to remove all of the hair before coming into work, even if they wash their clothes or use lint rollers. So if you know that anyone in your office is allergic, then either keep them separated from wherever the pet hair is located, or keep a supply of rollers on hand so that your workers can take care of it without further disruption.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Proper ventilation goes a long way towards helping everyone feel better. Not only can it help reduce the effects of sick building syndrome, but it can also improve air circulation and employee productivity. Sick building syndrome occurs when employees exhibit cold or flu-like symptoms, but no actual medical problem can be appropriately diagnosed. Don’t overlook how vital it is to maintain the internal atmosphere of your commercial building, whether through resetting the heating and cooling system for controlling temperatures, or maintaining air filters and ductwork.
Eliminate Other Irritants
Although natural allergens such as dust, pollen, and pet hair can infiltrate your building, so can other irritants. Any bacteria that lingers in in the water stored in your commercial cooling towers can cause health problems. Volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs, can do the same. Make sure the cleaning supplies you provide for use by employees or professional cleaners do not contain these chemicals.
Crockett Facilities Can Help!
Crockett Facilities Services, Inc. (CFSI) is committed to helping building owners, property managers, engineers, and facility professionals lower their operating expenses through HVAC preventive maintenance. We can develop a cost-effective, customized preventive maintenance plan for your commercial building that will provide you with peace of mind, improved comfort, and energy savings.
To learn more about the importance of HVAC Preventive Maintenance, please contact us at 202.600.2787 or sales@crockett-facilities.com. Our PM contract customers receive priority service with 24/7 emergency service in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.