The health risks of not regularly cleaning commercial ventilation systems

Published: 16-Jun-2016

Filtrex Environmental suggests that a regular maintenance schedule for ventilation systems should be put in place to avoid the risk of prosecution

Providing ventilation systems in workplaces is no longer seen as a luxury. As The Guardian reports, a healthy working environment has been shown to significantly increase productivity, and an important aspect of this is removing indoor pollutants such as mould spores.

However, if you don’t keep your ventilation system clean, it doesn’t just become useless; a dirty system can make things even worse.

Dirty ventilation systems

Modern Building Services magazine makes it clear that maintaining a commercial ventilation system isn’t just sensible, it’s a legal requirement. Filters and ductwork can be a breeding ground for mould, bacteria and viruses, and ventilation system specialist Filtrex advises that they should be professionally cleaned an absolute minimum of once a year.

At best, leaving a ventilation system uncleaned contributes to the well-known phenomenon of sick building syndrome (SBS). Symptoms of this condition range from headaches and dizziness to shortness of breath and skin irritation. The NHS website specifies that one essential step to counteract SBS is to 'Check heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system maintenance schedules. Make sure they're being followed properly.'

Uncleaned systems, though, can pose even more serious health threats. The mould spores released into the atmosphere can have a drastic effect on anyone suffering from asthma, while dirty ductwork may even harbour potentially fatal infections such as Legionnaires’ disease.

Cleaning your system

How often a commercial ventilation system needs to be cleaned depends on its level of use. An annual service is the absolute minimum, but any system that is used heavily will need attention more often, up to once every three months.

It is impossible to stress too much that this must be carried out by professionals such as Filtrex Enivornmental. They will not only clean or replace the filters, but also dismantle and clean out the ducts and give the entire system an overhaul.

In between these professional services, however, a regular maintenance schedule needs to be kept up, removing and cleaning the filters at least weekly. This can be carried out by competent general maintenance staff, but the bigger the system, the more likely it is that an ongoing maintenance contract with a specialist such as Filtrex will be needed.

Maintenance is not an optional extra

There are always plenty of calls on a firm's time and budget, but a commercial ventilation system isn’t something to cut corners on. Quite apart from the negative effect that sick building syndrome has on productivity, there's a legal obligation not to put the health of your employees or customers at risk.

To avoid the risk of prosecution, make sure that a regular maintenance schedule is in place.

For further information please contact Filtrex Environmental on 01279 457590 or visit www.filtrex.co.uk.

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