The air we breathe is really
important to our survival. If we dont
breathe clean air
, then we can get sick.
Air quality is something that is just recently getting more media
time. Making certain the air quality is
clean and healthy to breathe is getting put in the spotlight! This can have both positive and negative
effects on the general population. It
can cause people to become more aware of their working conditions and it can
cause a hyper vigilance toward clean air quality.
Indoor air quality is an important
component to keep employees healthy and productive. People know how to be aware of that infamous
musty smell. That musty smell is
unmistakable and when left unchecked it can grow some really unhealthy mold. But what about when there isnt a smell? What about people that work in a
manufacturing plant? Should they have
their air quality tested?
Every building should have their
air quality tested periodically. It is
different for a large commercial building than say a manufacturing plant. At a plant typically the main concern is the
air quality associated with jobs that require some form of personal
protection. One example would be a paint
booth or spray booth. With these jobs
the employee is often doing a job that could have potential long term effects
on the health of their lungs.
In a typical office environment
when there is a need or it is time to monitor the air quality then an
Industrial Hygienist will come out and place some air monitors around the
office and they will sample the air.
Typically they will sample per air handling unit to be determine if the
issue is contained to an air handling unit or if it is with the office itself. When an Industrial Hygienist is monitoring
employees because of their job then he will attach an air monitor to the
employees shirt. This monitor will keep
track of the air that they are breathing all day.
This will not only calculate the
air they breathe while they are working in a paint or spray booth but it will
also catch the air everywhere they go.
This is helpful in determining if the employee needs to wear a
respirator while doing his job.
If you feel like you should have
the air quality checking in your working environment then click here to find an
Industrial Hygienist to do so air monitoring for you.