With World Health Day 2022 focused on our planet and wellbeing following Covid-19, Johnson Controls workplace transformation specialist Mark Bouldin comments on the importance of balancing a predominantly indoor existence with exposure to clean outdoor air.
Today marks World Health Day 2022, which focuses on the increasing threats of a polluted planet that can damage our health. In our personal lives, we know what makes a healthy person and the steps we need to take to reduce our carbon footprint – but what we don’t know is that there are external factors that affect our health we hardly even notice. For instance: Air quality.
We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors, yet indoor air is sometimes five times more polluted than outdoor air. And that doesn’t just affect the transmission of viruses. Poor air quality can also mean increased CO2 levels, particulate matter, and VOCs, all of which are proven to impact our health and productivity.
The conversation surrounding air quality is steadily moving, with the introduction of the ULEZ and encouragement of uptake in electrical vehicles – but it’s still not enough. To ensure our places are healthy and safe for everyone, clean air must be taken seriously. But there is a principal measure that is incredibly important to help safeguard the public: proper ventilation to improve indoor air quality. New technologies can also capture 99.7% of airborne pathogens, ensuring the air people breathe is safe. But even just ensuring clean air is being filtered in from the outside can be enough.
Air quality needs to be put firmly on the agenda and this World Health Day is a stark reminder of the work that needs to be done. Governments need to bring this to the forefront of conversations, and organisations must take it seriously by introducing solutions to tackle poor air quality. Only then, can we create a safe world for everyone to thrive.
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