Tackling indoor air pollution: Andrew Sibley, Desso

While air pollution and ozone layer depletion are being tackled at the highest levels of government, the issue of indoor air pollution is still languishing behind the times when it comes to office and building design and functionality.

Working in an enclosed space without any fresh air for up to eight hours or more, may sound like a nightmare, but for many white collar workers, it’s simply a typical day at the office.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that office building ventilation systems pump in 20 cubic feet of fresh air per minute per person, but in reality, a mere five cubic feet is the average.

A report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that a total of 3.3 million people died globally in 2012 from indoor air pollution, and with the majority of us spending 90% of our time inside – especially in the Middle East region – the ergonomics of our environment are vital for our personal wellbeing.

According to the US’ Environmental Protection Agency, the number of ‘sick building syndrome’ cases being reported is on the increase, with one in every four buildings officially classified as unhealthy. The resulting knock-on effect of employees suffering building-related illnesses, costs companies and economies, billions each year in lost productivity. In fact researchers found the financial benefits of improving office climates (e.g. less absence due to illness) can be 8 to 17 times greater than the costs of making those improvements.

A study authored by William Fisk of California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, revealed that improved indoor air quality can actually boost productivity, with a half-percent increase to 5% resulting in estimated savings of US$20-200 billion per year in the US, and this is why we specifically engineered the patented Desso AirMaster carpet range.

Investment into R&D is non-negotiable when it comes to developing products that we are confident will deliver on quality – both in terms of customer satisfaction and, ultimately, positive long term health implications.

The consequences of our unassuaged fondness for a hi-tech, high-rise 21st century way of life mean that sick building syndrome is not set to change anytime sooner, but with sustainable floor to ceiling solutions becoming ever more readily available, The Office saga may just have a happy – and healthy – ending.