With the rising rate of global warming and population explosion, the world is becoming a hotter and crowded place to live and the situation is even worse in our country. The engines are continuously pumping out wasteful emissions and there is a persistent lack of clean fuels. Thus, the air we breathe is dangerously polluted and contributing to a wide array of diseases and infections. It is no surprise that 90 percent of the total population of the globe has no access to clean air and it actually kills around 7 million people all across the world every year.
The quality of air is of crucial concern for every business owners, workers, tenants and building managers. This is because it has a direct impact on everyone’s health, productivity and overall well-being. Most office goers in India spend 90 percent of their working time indoors within he office environment. It is often seen that the levels of pollutants are higher than the levels that are found outside. In the background of such an undesired situation, it is important for the businesses to consider improving indoor environment by taking proper measures in cleaning and improving air quality.
Factors Contributing to the Quality of Air Indoor
Though one can easily define what a dilapidated building or a leaking tap or a broken desk mean, it is not that simple to explain indoor air quality. It is a continuously altering interaction between a host of complicated factors which affect the levels, kinds and significance of pollutants within indoor environment. The common factors that contribute to this include various sources of odors and pollutants, maintenance, working of the ventilation system, availability of humidity and moisture and susceptibilities. Moreover, there are other factors which have a direct influence on the level of comfort as well as perception of quality of air indoors.
Controlling the indoor air quality can be achieved through three main strategies. In the primary level, it is important to manage the different sources of pollutants either by segregating them from the people or removing them entirely from the building through controlling the time of usage, physical barriers and relationships of air pressure. On the secondary level, pollutants can be diluted and removed from the building through strategic use of ventilations. Lastly, use of filtration methods can be employed to clean the various air pollutants.
Workplace Housekeeping for Reducing the Impacts of Air Pollution
For most people, housekeeping is meant for cleaning floors and surfaces, removal of dust particles and organizing waste and clutter. In a workplace setting, housekeeping contributes a great extent for prevention of injuries, improving air quality and boosting productivity and employee morale, besides making a far reaching impact on the guests, clients and visitors.
In India, the practice of safe housekeeping extends from conventional office settings to factories, manufacturing spots and warehouses which are often burdened with the challenges of hazardous elements, flammables and combustible dust particles. According to experts, the workplace safety programs should make use of housekeeping and each employee should play their part in curbing down air pollution.
Here are some ways in which professional housekeeping in business place can reduce the negative influence of air pollution:
Controlling spills and leaks: Trips and falls are one of the most pressing cause of nonfatal injuries in occupational front. If your business is concerned with the use of grease and oils, it is important to follow the right type of protocols. Otherwise, it will lead to slipperiness and may cause damage to the property and injury to employees. It is therefore, important to report and clean up leaks and spills, keep the exists and aisles clear of all unnecessary items, replacing worn and damaged flooring. Moreover, it is advised to set mats and platforms in various places and remove all kinds of projecting splinters, loose boards and holes.
Eliminating the chances of fire hazards: Often it is found that employees keep unwanted combustible items piled up in the workplace. When you have professional housekeeping services in your workplace, they would store such items within covered receptacles and dispose of at regular intervals. Though they strive to keep the fire doors and passageways free from all kinds of obstructions, it is also important for the employees to avoid contaminating their clothes and other fabrics with any form of flammable liquids. In case any hazards in electrical area are found, it should be reported immediately with the respective authorities.
Controlling dust: One of the most significant responsibilities of professional housekeeping services lies in controlling and removal of dirt and dust particles. In a highly polluted country like India, the dust particles within office environment is bound to have pollutants which have a detrimental impact on employees’ health. If required, the business owner should consider testing the workplace to determine if it is exposed to pollutants when dust and air particles are causing infections and other health troubles. Professional housekeepers make use of industrial vacuums for cleaning ceilings, walls, floors and other areas which cannot be accessed by inexperienced people. They use various techniques suited for complete removal of dust particles rather than suspending it temporarily and redistributing it again.
Clearing off clutter: When the workplace is cluttered with a lot of objects, it would definitely lead to ergonomic problems as workers have access to limited space for moving. An experienced team of housekeepers can help in keeping emergency exist, stairways and electrical doors and panels free from clutter for avoiding injuries. The trash receptacles are also regularly cleaned in order to rule out chances of contaminating indoor air which can affect the health of employees and workers.
Most business across the globe are now trying to curtail their carbon footprint while decreasing the level of environmental pollution. It is not always possible to take care of managing wastes and cleaning indoors by following in-house procedures. As a means to be proactive in building and managing wastes indoors, the role of experienced and skillful housekeeping services can never be denied.
