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Making Your Office More Comfortable
There are several reasons why
you should make sure conditions in your office are comfortable for the
members of your team. People who are comfortable work more efficiently
and tend to stay in their positions longer than those who are
uncomfortable.
Maintaining constant conditions in the office is important. Even minor
deviations from what team members feel is comfortable may cause stress
and affect such factors as performance and safety. In today’s
high-pressure environments people already under stress are going to be
much less tolerant of uncomfortable conditions.
Temperature
An office that is too warm will make its occupants feel lethargic. On
the other hand an office that is too cool makes its occupants restless
because they start to worry about how to get warm again.
A general recommendation is that the temperature be kept in the range of
69-73°F (21-23°C). In summer or whenever outdoor temperatures are
elevated it is best to keep air-conditioned offices slightly warmer –
around 73-79F° (23-26C°) to minimize the discrepancy between indoor and
outdoor temperatures.
Humidity
When relative humidity is maintained at around 50% studies show that
office workers have fewer respiratory problems and feel better in
general. Higher humidity can make the office feel stuffy and closed-in.
Humidity lower then 50% can cause discomfort by drying out the mucous
membranes in the nose, mouth and throat.
Humidity is definitely related to health. High humidity can contribute
to the development of bacterial and fungal growth. Low humidity
contributes to skin rashes and can cause electrostatic problems with
screens on computer monitors.
Air movement
Air movement is yet another factor to consider. Studies have shown that
an air velocity below about 50 feet per minute (0.25 metres/second) does
not create any significant distraction, even where sustained attention
is required.
Pollution
You may think that simply having a clean office is sufficient. But
pollution can be a problem in the cleanest office, which is why Indoor
Air Quality (IAQ) is becoming an increasingly important issue.
Air pollutants can originate within the building or be drawn in from
outdoors. Sources of pollution that originate outside a building include
pollen, dust and fungal spores, and vehicle exhaust.
From inside the building come pollutants such as odors from carpets,
wall coverings and furnishings, fumes from paints, sealants and
adhesives, and emissions from pieces of office equipment in use.
These pollutants can all contribute to causing levels of discomfort from
mild to serious. Ventilation here is important. An inadequately
ventilated office can lead to the build up of a variety of these indoor
air pollutants.
What Can You Do?
To find out if you have problems talk first with members of your team.
You might be in and out of the office so often that you don’t notice
whether the temperature’s too warm or if there’s a funny odor in the
storeroom. Ask those who spend the majority of their time at work in the
same location if they’re comfortable then act on their comments.
Get a good thermometer and try it out in different parts of the office.
You may well find “cold spots” and “hot spots”. Hold up a tissue in
various areas of all rooms and look for drafts. Chances are you’ll be
surprised at what you find.
The four areas of comfort we’ve discussed – temperature, humidity, air
movement and pollution, can all be controlled in various ways. In modern
offices these are most often affected by the building’s heating
ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC). Fixing problems in these
areas will usually involve discussions with those responsible for the
building and its equipment.
The following recommendations and guidelines are useful in preventing
indoor air quality problems:
· HVAC systems should receive periodic cleaning and filters should be
changed on a regular basis.
· The ventilation system should introduce an adequate supply of fresh
outside air into the office and capture and vent air pollutant sources
to the outside.
· Office machinery should be operated in well-ventilated areas.
Photocopiers should be placed away from workstations.
· Office equipment should be cleaned and maintained according to the
manufacturer's recommendations.
· Special attention should be given to operations that may generate air
contaminants (such as painting, pesticide spraying, and heavy cleaning).
Provisions for adequate ventilation must be made during these
operations.
There’s one easy improvement you can make to the humidity and air
quality. Introduce water-loving pot plants to your work area. As well as
adding to the appearance of the work environment they help to keep the
humidity at a comfortable level and reduce particulate matter in the
air.
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