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In 2009, the UK reported a total of 1.1 million lost working days due to breathing or lung problems – equivalent to an annual estimated cost of $3bn. And in MENA, the problem is on the rise, posing a huge threat to workforces, and businesses as a result.
Kuwait has found the number of asthma patients has increased to 15%, according to the Al-Rashed Allergy Center, with one specialist labelling it the 21st century’s disease.
Decisions made or influenced by FMs of the products and materials used within buildings can help tackle the problem. Manufacturers are demonstrating a greater awareness and are launching products to promote healthier environments.
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Desso is a carpet manufacturing company that has traded for almost 80 years. Recently the company launched AirMaster, a product eight times more effective in capturing and retaining fine dust than hard flooring – and four times more effective than standard carpeting.
Breathe easy
The AirMaster was developed to improve indoor air quality in busy interior environments such as schools, hospitals and offices – anywhere where there is a lot of feet treading in dust and stirring it up into the breathing zone.
It is designed to work by safely trapping and immobilising harmful allergens. This results in an improvement in indoor air quality which reduces the risk of health-related problems.
It is the only indoor finishing material ever to be awarded a gold star rating by GUI for its contribution to improving indoor air quality (IAQ). But is it really enough in the battle against health issues?
What’s on the floor mightn’t be a complete solution to the problem, but can help considerably, explains Andre Dulka, regional director, Desso, MEA/India.
Airborne fine particulate dust can also acts as a floating carrier for bacteria, spreading flus/influenzas within the environment. Very fine particulate dust - 2.5 micron or smaller - can bypass a person’s lungs and directly enter the bloodstream causing added infections.
“Indoor air quality improvement is something Desso has been researching for some time as contract carpet manufacturers. We have worked towards finding a solution to improve the IAQ in the working environment, that can trigger health problems.”
Recently, Nestle installed the Airmaster on a project in Cairo.
“It was their floor product of choice to offer an improvement in the health and well-being for its staff. The commercial upside is the possibility of less man hours lost due to sickness,” said Dulka.
“Creating healthier indoor working environments is becoming a major focus for many varied manufacturers. AC companies continue to look at ways for improved filtration, and companies like Phillips, who we worked with on ‘Airmaster’, for their vacuum technology, are also looking at ways to confine fine-dust in their vacuum cleaning systems,” he said.
Blast of fresh air
Air is a major contributor to health, says Portacool, a company which launched evaporative cooling units in 1990. These were the first version of a unit designed to provide economic, effective cooling wherever it was needed.
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