#2: “Sometimes… all I need is the air that I breathe…”

A study of 1,000 office workers in the US revealed that almost half had taken at least one day off having been made ill by the poor quality of the air in their workplace. Ailments attributed to poor air quality included headaches, dizziness, dry throats and congestion. And the main issues that caused these symptoms were cited as poor air circulation, excessive dust and the smell of chemicals.

The role of office design in employee wellbeing is one close to our hearts – and one have reported on many times over the years. But in 2020, with air pollution in towns and cities making the headlines on a regular basis, we predict that the issue of air quality in offices will also come to the fore.

Fortunately, at Procol, we are ahead of the game. Prevention and mitigation of the causes of poor air quality, and optimisation of air quality to maximise employee wellbeing and productivity, are established components of our service.

We are experts in the design, specification and installation of air conditioning systems for everything from office environments through to the highly excacting requirements of data centres. The right system will also go a long way to maintaining suitable temperature and humidity levels for your employees.

Lighting (both natural and artificial) and natural ventilation have important roles to play too, so you office space needs to be designed accordingly.

And, last but not least, taking a biophilic approach to the design of your office, will both improve air quality and deliver many other benefits. For example, incorporating plants into your working environment can do everything from reducing CO2 in the air (which can otherwise contribute to fatigue and a lack of concentration or productivity) and removing some pollutants, to enhancing productivity and attracting better calibre staff.

So, when all your people need is for the air that they breathe to be of a better quality, be sure to get in touch!