Is your workplace doing enough to keep you healthy?

(NC) Since the beginning of the pandemic, most buildings have prioritized cleaning and disinfection measures, with many places such as restaurants, stadiums and theatres adopting sanitization practices like those used in hospitals and other clinical settings. But while businesses steadily update these procedures, more immediate indoor health concerns are often overlooked.

“This is a moment in time where we can go beyond just surface sanitization and make small adjustments that will have a positive impact for people in indoor spaces now and in a post-pandemic world,” says Dr. Jie Zhao, building science specialist and head of Delos Labs, who has dedicated more than 10 years researching how indoor environments affect human health and well-being.

Simple solutions can help transform your indoor workspace into a vehicle for health, well-being, performance and resilience. Here are some strategies developed by Dr. Zhao and Delos Labs that all workplaces should consider:

1. Air filtration
Not all air purifiers are able to catch particles as small as a virus. Investing in high quality air purification can help reduce airborne pollutants and contaminants, helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses such as the flu.

2. Water quality testing
Drinking water should be tested regularly for harmful contaminants. It’s also important to select a water filter that can address specific water quality concerns identified during testing.

3. Circadian lighting
Our internal clock functions on a 24-hour cycle that matches the solar day. Ideally, our light exposure should mirror the sun — bright during the day, dimmer in the evening and dark at night — to help support our health and performance. This can be achieved through tunable lighting that allows your illumination to change throughout the day, and blackout shades at night.

4. Noise reduction
Ambient noise such as traffic from the street, neighbouring businesses and humming of air conditioners and other equipment can increase stress. Sound dampening or simply providing a quiet space to meditate can help provide a reprieve from distracting sounds.

5. Managing humidity
Dry air can dry out our airways and reduce our immune defenses, making it more difficult to clear out pathogens if we inhale them. Similarly, high humidity also has downsides. Most experts recommend keeping indoor humidity between 40 to 60 per cent. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can help maintain moisture within this range, creating environments more conducive to health.