Camfil Video Story – Importance of Workplace Air Quality in Recently Published Video

Camfil USA Highlights the Importance of Workplace Air Quality in Recently Published Video

Leading air filtration expert, Camfil USA, shares why workplace air quality is essential to most employees.

Riverdale, NJ – Workplace air quality matters most to employees because it influences their productivity, health, and happiness.  It is the main message Camfil USA shared in their recently published video on YouTube. This finding is based on a survey published on Harvard Business Review that reports air quality as one of the biggest influencers of employee performance, happiness, and wellbeing.

The survey asked 1,601 workers across North America what they want most from their workspaces. Air quality and light emerged as the top answers. As a global provider of clean air solutions for workspaces, Camfil USA advocates clean air for everyone, especially in workplaces. It is because improved air quality results in increased cognitive functions that lead to enhanced productivity.

Staying true to their advocacy in providing clean air for everyone, Camfil USA recently joined the celebration for World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021. On their Facebook post, Camfil USA wrote: “This is the time to understand better the changing workforce landscape and the importance of health and wellbeing at work. Celebrate the World Day for Safety & Health at work with Camfil and learn more about clean air at www.camfil.us.”

Camfil reiterated that better air quality means healthy and happy employees, leading to improved productivity and, ultimately, better return on investments.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, they provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. They firmly believe that the best solutions for their customers are the best solutions for the planet, too. That’s why every step of the way – from design to delivery and across the product life cycle – they consider the impact of what they do on people and the world around everyone. Through a fresh approach to problem-solving, innovative design, precise process control, and a strong customer focus, they aim to conserve more, use less and find better ways – so everyone can all breathe easier.

 

The Camfil Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 33​ manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 30 countries, and about 4,80​0 employees and growing. They proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and communities across the world. To discover how Camfil can help protect people, processes, and the environment, visit them at www.camfil.com.

 

Media Contact: 

Lynne Laake 

Camfil USA Air Filters 

T: 888.599.6620 

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend  Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter 

Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

 

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Ventilation Becomes a Top Priority as NJ Officials Move to Reopen Schools This Fall

For the many schools in New Jersey whose buildings are over a century old, upgrading out-of-date HVAC systems will be a lengthy process.

Schools throughout New Jersey are readying to fully reopen this fall as the state is set to receive $3.9 billion in funding for schools from two recently passed COVID relief bills.

No additional ventilation requirements have been imposed on any school district, but the important role of proper ventilation in stopping the spread of COVID 19 infections means that poor circulation and ventilation in schools cannot continue. Officials are shifting their focus to ensuring that schools are properly ventilated before students return at full capacity in September. For the many schools in New Jersey whose buildings are over a century old, upgrading out-of-date HVAC systems will be a lengthy process.

The CDC has emphasized the importance of keeping windows open when possible to bring fresh air into circulation, as well as running the HVAC system for at least two hours before and after every school day to remove particles that may contain viruses from the air. Some experts even suggest keeping HVAC systems running 24 hours per day.

Of New Jersey’s 584 school districts, 496 are operating via hybrid instruction, 165 in-person, 118 entirely remote, and 32 with a combination of methods. Health officials state that in-person learning has not been a significant source of virus transmission up to this point in time. To maintain the safety of students when schools return to full capacity, improved ventilation will be used in combination with masks and (for teachers and older students) vaccinations.

“There is going to be a lot of public money out there for school districts to address their ventilation, and they really need to get this right,” said Mark Davidson, Camfil’s Manager of Marketing and Technical Materials, for an article by northjersey.com. Camfil, an international manufacturer of cutting-edge air filtration technology, has seen a sharp rise in demand for air filtration systems during the pandemic, supplying air filters to hospitals, schools, public buildings, and production facilities all over the world. Camfil’s U.S. branch is headquartered in Morris County, New Jersey. “It’s not just COVID. These are steps that are going to improve the air in schools for a long time to come.”

Read the full article here.

About Camfil Clean Air Solutions

For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, we provide commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment. We firmly believe that the best solutions for our customers are the best solutions for our planet, too. That’s why every step of the way – from design to delivery and across the product life cycle – we consider the impact of what we do on people and on the world around us. Through a fresh approach to problem-solving, innovative design, precise process control and a strong customer focus we aim to conserve more, use less and find better ways – so we can all breathe easier.

The Camfil Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has 33​ manufacturing sites, six R&D centers, local sales offices in 30 countries, and about 4,80​0 employees and growing. We proudly serve and support customers in a wide variety of industries and in communities across the world. To discover how Camfil USA can help you to protect people, processes and the environment, visit us at www.camfil.us/

Media Contact:

Lynne Laake

Camfil USA Air Filters

T: 888.599.6620

E: Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook

T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter

Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube

L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

The post Ventilation Becomes a Top Priority as NJ Officials Move to Reopen Schools This Fall appeared first on Air Filters for Clean Air.

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Camfil In the News: Open windows, new filters: How NJ schools are readying for in-person classes this fall

Open windows, new filters: How NJ schools are readying for in-person classes this fall.

When every New Jersey school reopens for on-site instruction this autumn, as expected, students and teachers will be walking into intentionally drafty buildings where windows are kept open and HVAC systems are constantly running to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

School officials throughout the state are already preparing their buildings to be at full capacity once again. Billions of dollars of federal relief money are flowing into New Jersey schools this year, and it can pay for everything from ensuring new filters in classroom vents to overhauling outdated heating and air conditioning systems to bring more outdoor air inside.

“We’re seeing this work being done across the U.S. but especially in the Northeast in New York and New Jersey, because they were hit early and hardest by COVID,” said Mark Davidson, a manager for air filter manufacturer Camfil, based in New Jersey.

The good news is that in-person learning has not appeared to be a major source of COVID-19 transmission so far, health officials say.

The bad news is that COVID-19 particles spread much more rapidly indoors. And the vast majority of schools haven’t been at full capacity since March 2020.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most buildings, including schools, do not need a complete overhaul of their ventilation systems to be reoccupied. But recirculating indoor air and lacking proper filtration can’t continue.

“There is now good evidence that good ventilation reduces the risk of transmission when indoors,” said Stephanie Silvera, a professor of public health at Montclair State University. “Combining ventilation with masks and the new CDC guidelines on spacing will all be important in terms of getting schools reopened for as many students as possible.”

New Jersey will receive $3.9 billion in school funding this year from two major COVID relief bills passed by Congress.

Ventilation becomes top priority

State education officials did not know how much of that money will go toward ventilation projects at New Jersey’s 2,500 school buildings, which range from the newly constructed to some that are more than a century old. But in all parts of the state, work is planned, underway or completed.

For instance, more than 300 students at East Rutherford’s Alfred Faust middle school are being temporarily relocated this spring while their HVAC system is refurbished.

They’ll be heading to Becton Regional High School in the borough, which installed new 2-inch air filters in its HVAC system last September using money from the $150 billion federal CARES Act. Those new filters — along with a ventilation system that pulls outside air into the building — are among the reasons why Becton is one of the few North Jersey schools currently running full-capacity in-person instruction.

“We don’t need to prepare any more than we already have for next school year,” said Becton Principal Dario Sforza. “We were already prepared and have been very successful this school year.”

As of late March, the vast majority of New Jersey students were still splitting their time between home and school, with 496 districts in hybrid mode, 165 in person, 118 all remote, and 32 districts with a combination.

The state Health Department issued a set of recommendations last month to improve airflow at schools, focusing almost entirely on commonsense practices.

Emphasis on outdoor air, less time inside

The guidance centered on basic steps to bring in more outdoor air, such as opening windows and using fans to blow potentially contaminated air out and pull fresh air in. It also called for holding class, lunch and other activities outdoors as much as possible, although this may be difficult at densely populated schools in cities.

“It’s a good idea, but more needs to be done inside the school,” said Steve Baker, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the largest teachers’ union in the state. “If students and staff are not safe indoors on the coldest, rainiest day of the year, someone is not doing their job.”

Schools will have to meet 2007 federal indoor air quality standards before reopening, said Shaheed Morris, a state Department of Education spokesman. “No additional ventilation or air quality requirements have been imposed on school buildings as a result of COVID-19,” he said in an email.

Baker’s concerns were raised last summer at schools across New Jersey, including Newton’s Marian E. McKeown Elementary School in Sussex County, where teachers raised worry about the building’s filtration as they were about to embark on a hybrid school year.

After fixing all broken exhaust fans, school officials had them pump in outdoor air all year long, even during the coldest days of winter, said Superintendent Craig Hutcheson. He said McKeown’s heating costs have almost doubled this year due to the school’s keeping every vent open.

But just to be safe, it is a dollar well spent,” Hutcheson said.

Back in business:After a year of virtual learning, some Montclair students return to classrooms

Hutcheson essentially followed recommendations from the CDC that emphasize drawing fresh air from the outside rather than just continually recirculating indoor air. The agency recommends that HVACs be run at least two hours before and after the school day to refresh air in the early morning and remove any particles at the end of the day, although it suggests schools may want to run them 24 hours a day.

Mixed results

Some schools have had success with the guidance, including the Holmdel district, which allowed students to return to full in-class instruction in January. Among several safety improvements, the schools upgraded their HVAC systems by adding bi-polar ionization technology that is supposed to destroy virus cells.

Others have tried to open but failed, including the South Orange-Maplewood district, which went hybrid in January and a month later returned to all-remote learning. The teachers’ union had complained that windows were kept open, creating frigid conditions because older buildings lacked proper ventilation from their HVAC systems.

Camfil, a Swedish filter company whose U.S. headquarters is in Morris County, is having one of its busiest years, supplying filters to owners of nearly every type of building, including schools.

Among its bestsellers to schools is the CDC-recommended MERV-13 air filter that can last 12 to 18 months, capturing particles in most school’s ventilation systems. It is also selling many stand-alone filters that can be placed in classrooms — a one-two punch that can keep viral particles down.

“There is going to be a lot of public money out there for school districts to address their ventilation, and they really need to get this right,” said Davidson, the Camfil manager. “It’s not just COVID. These are steps that are going to improve the air in schools for a long time to come.”

While ventilation is key, said Silvera, the Montclair professor, it is going to take a multi-pronged approach to ensure safety when everyone is back in the classroom come September.

“Adequate ventilation, combined with masking, distancing and — hopefully as we get closer to the fall — vaccination of both teachers and older students, will all be necessary to help us reopen schools and move through this pandemic,” she said.

Scott Fallon covers the environment for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news about how New Jersey’s environment affects your health and well-being,  please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: fallon@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @newsfallon 

For original story https://njersy.co/3dg5XWo

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The 5 Most Common Air Pollutants in Your Workplace

A look at some of the most common sources of poor indoor air quality in the workplace and how a greater understanding of commercial HVAC air filters can improve ventilation and filtration.

While there are plenty of forms of air pollution that are not within the realm of direct control such as factory pollution, smog, wood smoke, and airborne construction fiber, some of the most potent forms of air pollution come from the way our workplaces are configured. 

The Most Common Threats to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in the Workplace

• Printers & Photocopiers – Any equipment that utilizes large amounts of ink is a likely source of workplace VOCs. 

• Furniture and Furnishings – Many office buildings pride themselves on their decorative furnishings, using it to please employees and clients alike. However, while it may come as a surprise, new furniture is one of the most significant sources of VOC off-gassing.

• Shared Occupancy Issues – In an effort to save money and operate more efficiently, many businesses choose to share their real estate with other operations. Unfortunately, commercial air filtration systems are rarely upgraded at the same time to accommodate the extra load. The additional load can lead to under-performing ventilation and greater exposure to polluted air. 
• Air Fresheners – While it may seem counterintuitive,   air fresheners are a surprising source of indoor air pollution. While these might seem like an absolute necessity when sharing a workspace with other people, they are also a readily available source of toxic off-gassing. 

Why Some Companies Are Far Too Worried about Air Filter Replacement Costs

Investing in a properly functioning system designed to remove the harmful VOCs and airborne pollutants specific to your workplace will yield an acceptable ROI. However, selecting air filters for that system based solely on the initial purchase price lowers the effectiveness of the system. An air filter is a single component in a more complex HVAC system, but its impact on system performance is disproportional to its size. Instead, install high quality and high-efficiency air filters that complement and maximize the performance of the system.  

Improving Workplace Air Quality Standards in the Wake of COVID-19

As we have seen recently, the quality of our air can be affected by more than just pollutants. Harmful viruses can linger inside aerosols suspended in the airstream for hours at a time, increasing the need for improved workplace air quality standards in the future. 

Recognizing the Symptoms of Poor Indoor Air Quality 

If you or anyone in your place of business is experiencing any of the following symptoms, it could be an indicator of threatened indoor air quality:

• Sneezing
• Congestions
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Irritability

Ask About Your Company’s Indoor Air Quality Program 

Owners, managers, and employees alike have an important interest in monitoring IAQ inside the workplace; finding out more about your building’s indoor air quality program is a good way to stay protected against the effects of poor IAQ.

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