LIGHTING & ELECTRICAL
MAKING WORKSPACES SAFE -
WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW BEFORE
INVESTING IN AN AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM
Providing a fresh, clean, healthy workplace has always been
important for businesses to ensure staff are kept in safe,
productive environments. This is of even greater importance
now as the COVID-19 lockdown eases. But health experts
are worried that conventional air purification systems won’t
actually provide the protection required.
These types of system use PHI (Photohydroionisation) Cells
which are integrated into fans to ‘Actively’ clean the air by
flooding indoor environments with Ionised Hydro-Peroxides.
These are referred to as “mother nature’s cleaning agents” by
the scientific community, as they occur naturally and are the
reason the air smells fresh after a thunderstorm.
They highlight the concerns surrounding conventional
‘Passive’ air purification, where air needs to pass through
a filter in order to be purified. These filters are usually in
devices, which, in reality take many, many hours to pass
all the air in a room through it, if at all in poorly circulated
spaces. As soon as someone enters the space, the air is then
immediately exposed to contamination, so the likelihood of
all air being treated is extremely remote.
They also warn how filter based systems don’t sterilise
surfaces – pathogens like Coronavirus, E.COLI and Listeria
can survive for hours on uncleaned surfaces, putting
occupants at risk. There’s also concern that these harmful
viruses, germs and bacteria can continue to thrive in filters,
which means that the task of changing and cleaning filters
can also carry its own risks.
In independent research, results showed that PHI fan
technology eradicated up to 99% of all known viruses
and pathogens. It also showed that with an active in-room
PHI fan, over 99% of the germs in a human sneeze are
neutralised before they can travel 2 metres.
So, for anyone investing in air purification technology it
might be worthwhile considering ASHRAE’s advice and
looking into the simple-to-install, ductless, PHI fans as an
approved, safe and tested solution.
www.airius.co.uk
After extensive research, ASHRAE, the worldwide trade
association for HVAC professionals, have now come forward
to recommend that building owners consider UVGI (Ultra
Violet Germicidal Irradiation) combined with autonomous
circulation fans to protect staff and customers from viruses,
such as Coronavirus and other harmful pathogens.
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