According to a Honeywell survey, some 74% of respondents reported having concerns about the indoor air quality at their jobs. This makes sense, considering the many health issues caused by poor IAQ, such as respiratory irritation, fatigue, cognitive decline, and even heart disease.

Poor IAQ also directly contributes to diminished productivity, increased usage of sick leave, and lower morale for the entire workforce.

While IAQ should be a priority all year round, it’s especially important during the winter months, when ventilation systems are often underutilized. Indoor air pollutants can quickly build up in office environments and other commercial buildings during the colder months, so it’s essential to know how to restore your IAQ to healthy levels.

This guide will discuss the most effective ways to improve IAQ for commercial buildings, why it’s important, and the benefits of minimizing indoor air pollution.

Understanding Indoor Air Quality in Winter

Addressing poor indoor air quality in commercial buildings comes with its own unique set of challenges during the winter. To properly mitigate issues with IAQ during this time, it’s critical to first examine the root causes of the problem.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind.

Common Winter IAQ Issues

One of the most common issues with commercial buildings during the winter is a lack of adequate ventilation. This can lead to an increased presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other indoor air pollutants that make people sick.

Meanwhile, poor ventilation combined with condensation in crawlspaces or bathrooms can create an ideal habitat for mold to proliferate. Many commercial buildings seek to seal up indoor spaces in an effort to keep workers warm and lower their energy costs, but this can actually make matters worse by essentially trapping airborne contaminants in the environment.

Health and Productivity

The impact of poor IAQ on employees' health and productivity cannot be understated. As your commercial HVAC system works to maintain a warm indoor environment, the air begins to dry out, contributing to respiratory issues like coughing, sneezing, or asthma symptoms.

Long-term exposure to indoor air pollution poses a major health risk to occupants and can eventually contribute to more serious conditions like chronic lung diseases. It’s estimated that the productivity losses caused by IAQ-related illnesses add up to a staggering $93 billion annually.

Strategies to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Buildings

There’s little doubt that poor indoor air quality can have a disruptive impact on employees' health and comfort in the workplace. Luckily, there are several simple things you can do to remedy the problem.

Here are the most effective ways to get the indoor air quality back on track in your commercial building.

Optimize HVAC Systems

Start with taking practical steps to enhance your building’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. If your HVAC systems are older, consider having the ductwork thoroughly cleaned to remove any debris or contaminants.

Sealing up any gaps or leaks in the system will also help improve the performance of your climate control infrastructure. If large sections of your commercial building remain vacant for extended periods of time, you may also want to explore upgrading to a zoned system to reduce the strain on your HVAC equipment.

Incorporate Air Purification Technologies

Deploying air purifiers at strategic points throughout the building can also go a long way to improve indoor air quality. Some air purification systems utilize UV light to destroy germs and pathogens while others rely on HEPA or carbon filters to remove particulate matter from an indoor environment.

Using air purification technology will help prevent the buildup of contaminants so clean, healthy air circulates freely throughout the building.

Maintain Proper Humidity Levels

Unbalanced humidity levels are another common contributor to poor IAQ. Prevailing air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggest maintaining an indoor humidity level between 30% and 50% in most cases.

If the humidity is too low, the air will become excessively dry and potentially cause respiratory irritation. Too high, and mold spores or pathogens are more likely to spread.

Address Indoor Pollutant Sources

A variety of pollutants created inside the building may be to blame for your IAQ issues. These indoor pollution sources include aerosols, cleaning chemicals, or even naturally occurring radon that seeps into the building from the ground beneath.

If your commercial building has a kitchen area, poor ventilation over cooking equipment like stoves or ovens can also undermine indoor air quality. Identifying and controlling pollution sources like these will result in cleaner, healthier air.

Enhance Natural Ventilation

While it may seem counterintuitive to open the windows in your building during the winter, the architecture of some commercial structures can be ideal for natural ventilation in the colder months. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as allowing temperature differentials inside and outside the building to force indoor air out through atrium windows.

Alternatively, you can simply allow occupants to open the windows themselves at certain intervals to help introduce fresh air into your indoor spaces.

Leverage Smart Building Technologies

The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought about numerous smart building devices that can streamline and even automate your building’s climate control system. Indoor air quality sensors can monitor contaminant levels, humidity levels, and the temperature in real time, automatically adjusting your heating, AC, or ventilation accordingly.

If you’re looking for a permanent solution for cultivating a better workplace with healthier employees, smart building solutions may be the answer for you.

Long-Term Benefits of Improving IAQ

Enhancing your building’s indoor air quality can improve the health, comfort, and well-being of all occupants. The end result is higher productivity, greater morale, and a much lower prevalence of employees calling in sick.

Improve indoor air quality can also have a dramatic impact your commercial building’s financial health. For example, potential tenants will be far more likely to lease a section of your office building if the indoor air quality is in a healthy range. Meanwhile, you can avoid costly liabilities associated with poor IAQ by following the steps listed above to mitigate the presence of indoor contaminants.

Take Control of Your Building’s Air Quality This Winter

Are you looking for a comprehensive solution for maintaining healthy indoor air quality throughout the winter and beyond? At Attune, our IAQ monitoring platform delivers real-time insights into all aspects of your building’s air quality, giving you the data you need to take action. Best of all, our indoor air quality solutions are fully customizable and easy to integrate into your existing HVAC systems.

If you’re ready to see how Attune can transform your office building, schedule a demo today.

How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Commercial Buildings This Winter