Tag Archives: workplace productivity

According to the American Lung Association, more than 40 percent of Americans breathe in dirty air every day. That’s the findings from the association’s annual State of the Air report, which tabulates the quality of air in cities across the United States, factoring in smog, air pollution, carbon monoxide levels from car exhaust and spikes in temperature, which “cooks” pollution to make it more intense. The overall effect: dirty air can cause difficulty in breathing, decrease life expectancy and may even contribute to lung cancer.

Given the topographical shape of California—it resembles a bowl that traps bad air at lower levels, instead of allowing it to float into the atmosphere—it’s no wonder that a number of the cities with the worst pollution are from the so-called Golden State. The Los Angeles area ranked number one on the list of most polluted cities over a 24-hour period, followed by the Bakersfield, Visalia, and Fresno, CA areas, respectively. Fairbanks, AK ranked fourth, primarily because a great number of residents use wood-burning stoves and fireplaces for heating; these appliances cause the releases of harmful chemicals that linger in the air.

Top 10 Most Polluted Cities:

1.Los Angeles – Riverside – Orange County, CA
2.Bakersfield, CA
3.Visalia, CA
4.Fresco, CA
5.Fairbanks, AK
6.Modesto, CA
7.San Jose – San Francisco – Oakland, CA
8.Salt Lake City – Provo – Orem, UT
9.El Centro, CA
10.Pittsburgh, PA

For the most polluted cities with annualized results, Fairbanks, AK took top (dis)honors. This means the city had the worst year-round results. In terms of most polluted cities with regard to ozone production, Los Angeles, CA ranked first.

And cleanest cities?

That would be Cheyenne, WY, followed by Honolulu, HI and Casper, WY, because they have relatively smaller population centers.

Still, the numbers are alarming. What’s more, given that indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, there’s real concern about the air we breathe. Simply staying indoors on high-ozone days doesn’t cut it.

Instead. You need to ensure that indoor air is clean. The best way to do that, in our opinion: get an AeraMax Professional air purifier. The complete line of professional-grade air purifiers effectively and efficiently clean indoor air, removing up to 99.97 percent of harmful contaminants—like germs, viruses, odors, volatile organic compounds, odors and pollutants—from indoor air, using hospital-grade True HEPA filtration.

So, while you can’t necessarily move from your area to get better air, you can make the air better, with AeraMax Professional.

Read Article

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.

Read Article

AeraMax Professional had a great chance to spread the Gospel of Clean Air when it was invited to shed light on air purity challenges in the dental lab industry during a two-part interview featured on the Voices from the Bench podcast recently. Voices from the Bench, hosted by industry professionals Elvis Dahl and Barbara Warner Wojdan, explores a variety of dental lab topics, ranging from emerging technologies to industry news.

AeraMax Professional sheds light on air purity challenges in the dental lab industry.

 

For a two-part interview (episodes 25 and 26, available here) ), the pair created a roundtable with Tad Friess of Rockert Dental Labs, Mike Booth, AeraMax’s Senior Global Market Manager—Air Treatment, and Blake Bobosky, AeraMax’s VP/GM of Air Treatment Sales, North America. The group discusses the challenges facing dental lab owners and employees who work in dust- and odor-filled environments. Friess also recounted the work done by staff at AeraMax Professional to identify previous poor air quality issues at his lab, as well as the solutions provided through the installation of AeraMax Professional air purification units, stating that the installation completely eradicated the dust and air quality issues.

LISTEN HERE:

Part 1

Part 2

Read Article

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.

Read Article

It seems like every news cycle is dominated by talk of air pollution and poor indoor air quality. There are ways, however, to influence the quality of indoor environments.

Here are four quick changes that facility managers can make to improve indoor air quality.

1. Boost ventilation.

One simple way of helping alleviate air issues is by boosting the flow of air throughout a facility by opening windows. Oftentimes, facility managers try to improve air by putting additional filters in place by cranking up the HVAC, but that drags down airflow (there’s a better solution at Number Four on our list!). Also, note that bacteria and spores grow in warm, wet environments, so consider getting dehumidifiers for problem areas, like areas of water leaks and damage.

2. Remove problems.

Certain types of carpeting and office furniture give off vapors that are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which in turn affect respiration and exacerbate asthma symptoms. That’s why many companies opt for wood or tile flooring. Look to replace things like toxic wall paint to with non-toxic alternatives, too.

3. Go green.


“Cleaning for Health” is a huge trend these days and focusing on green cleaning techniques can improve overall indoor air quality. Get started by downloading our whitepaper.

4. Get AeraMax® Professional.

Quite simply, the most effective way to positively impact indoor air quality is by installing AeraMax Professional commercial grade air purifiers. These units remove 99.97 percent of indoor contaminants like germs, bacteria, allergens and VOCs, making indoor air livable and breathable again. Each also is effective at removing odors from indoor spaces, making them ideal for high traffic areas. The air purifiers come in wall mount and stand units in a variety of sizes to suit most indoor spaces, and offer an easy way to get ahead of indoor air quality issues.

Read Article