Daikin
Are your ventilation strategies fit for purpose to protect against coronavirus?
The importance of maintaining heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to protect human health and well-being has been brought sharply into focus this year. Especially now that more workers are returning to their offices and children are heading back to the classroom.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) have acknowledged threat of airborne transmission of the coronavirus following widespread evidence that showed tiny particles containing the virus could become suspended in the air for some hours.

These findings have important implications. It is now clear that hand washing and face masks alone cannot prevent the spread of coronavirus in indoor environments with poor ventilation, and that air conditioning systems could play an important role to reduce transmission rates.

However, there were certain adjustments facilities managers could make that would further reduce the risk of transmission. Follow these useful tips on how to run building services during COVID-19 pandemic:
DO
Increase air change rates. This will dilute the airborne viral load.

Use more window airing (when mechanical ventilation is not present).

Take into consideration whether new partition walls have been erected, or desks moved, as social distancing measures.

Regularly check, clean and replace filters.
TO CONSIDER
Air purifiers can be useful in specific situations.

Introduce HVAC and office interior fogging to your regular maintenance routine.

Introduce duct cleaning to your regular maintenance routine.

Humidifiers should be checked to maintain relative humidity levels are in line with recommendations for minimising airborne viruses.
DO NOT

Increase humidification or indoor air temperatures as these have no practical effect in killing the coronavirus.

It is more important now than ever to ensure that mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems are working as intended and are well maintained.

However, good maintenance strategies should not just be deployed in response to a pandemic. There is a wider lesson to be learned about how building services maintenance can safeguard the health and wellbeing of building occupants at any time.

Public buildings, especially schools, care homes and healthcare facilities are areas of particular concern. In these buildings it is crucial that the air conditioning systems are continuously monitored to ensure they are delivering the right conditions for health and wellbeing – and that regular maintenance is carried out to keep them operating reliably and efficiently to minimise running costs.

This is also the best way to extend the operating life of these critical assets and minimise costly repairs and system downtime. It will also flag up the need for regular maintenance activities such as disinfection and chlorination to kill viruses and bacteria, preventing airborne cross contamination.

Daikin Applied Service offers a turnkey solution for the service and maintenance of all brands of HVAC equipment, operating across the UK and Ireland. Our service and maintenance packages can be tailored precisely for the type of facility in question combined with excellent air filter technology produced by our sister company AAF. This provides clean air solutions for critical and high occupancy areas.

© Daikin Applied (UK) Limited 2020. All rights reserved.

Bassington Lane, Cramlimgton, Northumberland, NE23 8AF
Company number 03503812

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