Johnson Controls (JCI) HVACR Trends - GineersNow Engineering Magazine Key Trends Making Our Cities Greener & Smarter | Page 76

Why An Engineer Needs Fresh Air At Work
What most of us often take for granted are the health benefits of
fresh air to all of us - whether you’re an engineer working in an office
building or exposed to the dust and dirt outside.
What most of us often take for granted are the
health benefits of fresh air to all of us – whether
you’re an engineer working in an office building
or exposed to the dust and dirt outside. Most
people forget how important it is to have a work
environment that has good ventilation inside the
building. Even if there are common standards
for air quality inside a work place, they are often
met but the quality is still not good enough
for everyone exposed to the air. In fact, some
would often say that meeting the “Ventilation
for Acceptable Indoor Quality” cannot assure
anyone that the quality of air is healthy enough.
For some people who are exposed to air-
conditioned rooms and tight spaces, they often
go through a phenomenon called the “sick
building syndrome”. Symptoms include having
chest tightness, coughing, eye irritation and
headaches. But once ventilation is improved
and fresh air enters the room, people would
avoid feeling sick at work making them more
productive and people would avoid transmitting
infectious diseases at work.
Here are the main benefits of exposing yourself
to fresh air at work.
It strengthens your immunity.
Our immunity involves our white blood cells
fighting germs and bacteria in our bodies.
Inhaling fresh air means you will more oxygen
in your body and helps your white blood cells
function properly.
Your blood pressure and heart rate
improve.
When you’re exposed to polluted areas, your
body has to work harder to get the amount
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HVACR Leaders • May 2017
of oxygen it needs, which affects your blood
pressure. Avoid being in a toxic place.
It’s even good for
your digestion too.
In case you didn’t know, inhaling fresh air
improves your digestion. Have you ever
wondered why it is recommended to take a walk
outside after you eat? This should help you if
you want to lose weight.
It cleans your lungs.
This one is quite obvious. We all know how
important it is to have clean air for our lungs.
Inhaling fresh air clears the airways of our lungs.
It will also dilate more fully.
Your mood will improve.
The amount of oxygen you get from the fresh air
you inhale affects the amount of serotonin you
will have. When you have more serotonin in your
body, the happier you will get. Breathing in fresh
air leaves you feeling more refreshed.
You will be more energetic
and have a sharper mind.
The brain normally uses up 20% of our body’s
oxygen, so getting fresh air will be able to
provide you more oxygen than the normal
ventilation setup in a work space. Breathing in
fresh air allows you to have a clearer thinking
capacity and improves your concentration. You
will feel you have more energy to work as well.