If you notice that you or your employees are constantly sneezing, coughing, or uncomfortable, your workplace could have improper air quality caused by mold, poor ventilation, or dirty air filtration systems. These issues can affect productivity, comfort, and overall health. Follow along as we discuss ways allergens could be affecting your workspace and how to prevent them from spreading.
Mold Can Cause Allergy Symptoms at the Workplace
Mold is a type of fungus that grows best in moist environments. It survives by absorbing nutrients from organic materials like wood, paper, fabric, or even dust using enzymes. Mold spreads by releasing tiny spores into the air that can land on surfaces that provide enough moisture, warmth, and nutrients, causing it to grow and form mold colonies. These colonies typically look fuzzy or slimy and can appear in colors like black, green, white, or gray.
Mold is typically found on surfaces like walls, ceilings, and office equipment. Constant exposure to mold in your office can cause allergic reactions such as coughing, eye irritation, congestion, and skin irritation. To keep your workplace safe from mold, it is important to maintain proper ventilation, ensure the office stays clean, and address water leaks as fast as possible. If you need help with mold prevention, contact PROAC Corporation. Our services range from mold removal to mold prevention and air quality testing for mold.
Allergy Symptoms Due to Poor Ventilation in the Office
Office buildings with poor ventilation can cause various allergies, like headaches, fatigue, sinus irritation, and itchy throat. With the lack of fresh air and air stagnation, offices are more sustainable to allergen buildup. Poor placement of your outdoor intakes, vents being blocked by office furniture, or lack of upkeep on your vents don’t allow for your space to have proper ventilation. This causes pollutants and contaminants to grow because there is no air circulation in the room.
Having proper air flow, even just through open windows or air purifiers, can prevent your office from allergens like dust mites or mold. If you aren’t sure what is best for your office, PROAC can help you determine the necessary steps to keep you and your employees safe.
Office Air Filtration System Causing Allergies
Air filters can be great for circulating the air in your office. They can catch allergens like pollen, dander, dust, and mold spores, but if they are not properly maintained, it can cause your allergies to get worse. Over time, more and more of these particles get attached to your filters, risking the chance of them getting saturated enough to be released back into the air. You can prevent this from happening in your office by properly cleaning the filtration system.
How to Get Rid of Allergens in the Office
In general, keeping your office space clean and well-ventilated is essential for reducing allergens. Here are some ways to keep different allergens out of your workplace:
- Prevent Mold Growth In The Office: Maintaining proper ventilation, quickly fixing water leaks, and putting regular cleaning procedures in place are all necessary to prevent mold growth and keep your office environment safe.
- Ways To Improve Ventilation In Your Workplace: If you are able to, open windows to allow fresh air into your office. Invest in ceiling or standing fans to improve air flow. You can also install CO₂ monitors to track your office’s air quality.
- Keep Your Office Filters Clean To Prevent Allergies: Getting high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for your office’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are crucial to maintaining optimal air quality and can help trap airborne allergens. It is important to regularly clean your filters and replace them when needed.
- Schedule Professional Services With PROAC To Keep Your Workplace Clean: Our team is ready to keep your office safe from allergens. Our services include mold removal, air quality testing, commercial duct cleaning, and more. We will not only ensure your work environment is clean, but we will help provide ways to prevent the office from getting sick.
Contact PROAC For Commercial Building Maintenance
If you or your employees are facing constant allergies in the office, it may be due to improper air quality or poor ventilation. At PROAC, we offer mold remediation, duct cleaning, HVAC filter maintenance, and full air quality assessments. Contact us today for proactive building maintenance that keeps your team healthy, productive, and comfortable.