Tag Archives: air purification

Another fall, another flu season. Last year’s flu season was particularly harsh, and some are predicting this season will match or exceed the severity of last year’s. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is asking everyone over the age of six months old to get inoculated against the flu.

According to the CDC, flu vaccines this year are designed to match most flu strains that are out there. However, the risk of getting the flu is still present, regardless of whether someone is inoculated or not, because there isn’t a vaccine developed against all strains. And, according to a Rice University study, these vaccines are expected to have the same reduced efficacy as last year’s flu vaccines. For those folks who opt not to get vaccinated, the risk of getting the flu this season is very real.

That may mean the potential for more absenteeism and less worker or student productivity. You can calculate the cost to your facility or educational institution with our easy-to-use Flu Calculator You’ll be astounded by the eye-opening costs in terms of lost productivity.

So, how do you combat the flu in your facility? Focus on cleaning the Triumvirate: Hands, Surfaces and Air.

So, how do you combat the flu in your facility?

Focus on cleaning the Triumvirate: Hands, Surfaces and Air. First, hand washing helps to reduce the spread of germs that occur in workplaces. Consider opting for hand sanitizers to reduce that contact. Next, aggressively cleaning surfaces will greatly reduce the spread of germs; flu germs can survive for up to 24 hours, depending on the surface.

But most importantly, focus on cleaning the very air indoors. According to a study conducted by the University of Maryland school of public health, influenza germs last in the air up to several hours, and people can get sick simply by breathing in air tainted with the germs, which contradicts the thought that people contract the flu by touching infected droplets from coughs or sneezes. So, it’s time to clean the air.

Luckily, the complete line of AeraMax Professional air purifiers scrub the air of contaminants, removing up to 99.97 percent of germs—as well as bacteria, pathogens, volatile organic compounds, other viruses and odors—from indoor air, using a True HEPA hospital-type filtration system.

In fact, independent testing by airmid healthgroup in a controlled laboratory setting showed AeraMax Professional III air purifiers remove 99.9 percent of airborne H1N1 flu particles in a test chamber within 35 minutes of operation.

And, since AeraMax Professional units continually scan the air, they work tirelessly to clean air and remove harmful particles from your workspace. So, you can meet this flu season head on…and win.

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These days, facility managers have more responsibilities. More occupant interaction, more belt-tightening decisions—and more opportunities to truly affect change in their facility. This is why the director of the Healthy Buildings Program at the Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment, Joseph Allen, Ph.D., stated that a facility manager has more of an impact in the health and well-being of the occupants than physicians.

Find out more about how you can clean smarter, not harder.

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Indoor Air Quality Gifts for your Co-workers

It’s easy to feel cooped up when you work in an office year-round, especially when winter strikes and cabin fever becomes a real struggle in colder climates. The sleet and snow bring fewer opportunities to step outside, open a window or enjoy lunch on a café patio.

In common areas, this can make the indoor air quality (IAQ) feel stale rather quickly, especially when buildings are working hard to conserve heat and energy. When the IAQ suffers, so does productivity and morale. This, in turn, negatively affects company culture and your bottom line.

Sure, a dozen donuts will brighten the spirits of everyone around the office (right up until food coma sets in), but wouldn’t you rather give your employees something that benefits them in the long run?

Your office environment directly affects how you work, so consider these five gifts for improving indoor air quality.

  1. Plants
    The clean air study, led by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, found that many common indoor plants remove common harmful chemicals from the air, many of which cause eye irritation or other distracting symptoms. Though ferns and palms can’t solve everything, they provide some health benefits and a nice aesthetic.
  2. IAQ sensors Bringing IAQ sensors into your office is a great way to identify problem areas and learn more about what factors are harming your work environment. This will provide you with real-time evidence in order to make smart changes for the better.
  3. Increased ventilation
    Though doubling your office’s ventilation has an initial cost, the payoff is huge. Researchers estimate that doubling ventilation has a cost of $14 to $40 per employee per year, while the increase in productivity for each employee averages $6,500 annually. That type of investment sounds good for everyone.
  1. Beards
    If you demand your employees keep clean shaven, it might be time to reconsider. Beards potentially filter out allergens and germs, according to experts and the American Lung Association. The one caveat? Beards can also collect germs and allergens if they’re not regularly cleaned.
  2. Targeted air purification
    A wide range of pollutants contaminate our indoor air, including dust mites, allergens, volatile organic compounds and germs. While we’re big fans of beards and plants, the most efficient way to remove 99.9 percent of airborne contaminants is targeted air purification with a commercial air purifier.
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The flu virus wreaks havoc wherever it goes. What role does a cleaner facility play in stopping it from spreading?

Our infographic shows how the flu virus spreads through the air in common areas. It also explains that if you clean the air, you can reduce the risk of catching the illness.

Something to think about as we enter another costly flu season.

 

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AeraMax Professional commercial grade air purifiers are the only solutions proven in independent tests to capture the airborne flu virus.

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A recent Popular Science piece exposed some startling information about airborne transmission of diseases, covering everything from toilet plumes to the 2003 outbreak of SARS. For example, the article notes that 100 bacteria, fungi and viruses can be spread through the air.

While we’ve all been encouraged to wash our hands and clean surfaces to prevent the spread of germs, creating safe and healthy air in shared spaces is often overlooked – if not directly neglected.

Popular Science uncovered an interesting history of this denial. For decades, scientists were extremely interested in indoor air quality (IAQ) and airborne germs. Then antibiotics became the norm, and IAQ research fell out of fashion.

However, with growing concerns about antibiotic-resistant strains of disease, and longtime struggles with common seasonal illnesses such as the flu, a network of devoted scientists is trying to remind the world that air quality is not something to be taken for granted.

Experts such as Steven Welty, Linsey Marr, William G. Lindsley, Rachel Jones and David Johnson are on the front lines of this research. Their studies highlight the importance of taking proactive measures to create healthy indoor air quality.

Some key facts from their research:

  • Numerous illnesses, including influenza, chicken pox and measles, can all be spread through the air.
  • Germs can be expelled into the air after multiple (as many as two dozen) toilet flushes, making bathrooms particular problem areas.
  • Small respiratory droplets greatly outnumber larger, visible droplets and can easily be caught in the air current and travel through ventilation systems.
  • Some people have been identified as super-emitters by experts, and release significantly more infectious flu particles when they cough or sneeze. One expert, Werner Bischoff, estimates this group is responsible for 80 percent of flu infections.

Why you haven’t heard much about IAQ

Since we can’t see the air that we’re constantly breathing, it’s hard to visualize the thousands of particles – including dust, germs, allergens and volatile organic compounds – floating in the environment around us.

When a person sneezes, we steer clear of the visible droplets that follow, but many of the contagious germs are actually so small that they can remain in the air indefinitely. We tend not to worry about those as much.

Popular Science points out that handwashing is still the primary recommendation for preventing the spread of germs, even though there’s limited evidence of its effectiveness.

How IAQ effects flu season

Multiple studies have found that influenza can remain in the air indefinitely, then be inhaled by others deep into the lungs. Flu season usually takes place when the weather is colder – not necessarily because of the temperature, but because people spend more time indoors with others. In offices, schools and other shared spaces, this results in widespread illness.

One proven way to limit the airborne transmission of influenza in shared spaces is to use an air purification system. The AeraMax Professional, a commercial air purifier, removes 99.9 percent of influenza from the air in only 35 minutes, helping to mitigate flu season and provide better air quality to any indoor environment.

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