Posted on Tuesday 7th June 2022
Philip White
A county council scheme has helped over 40 businesses to keep their staff and business safe from Covid-19 by improving air quality in their workplace.
Small businesses in the county are being offered the opportunity to borrow a hand-held carbon dioxide (C02) monitor for free two weeks to help spot areas of high C02 that indicate poorer air quality and a higher risk of Covid-19 spreading.
Research shows that being in a room with fresh air can reduce the transmission of airborne respiratory viruses, such as Covid-19 and flu, by as much as 70 per cent, with higher levels of C02 increasing the risk.
Philip White, Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills said:
Proper workplace ventilation is an essential way for businesses to protect their business and their workforce by reducing the risk of Covid-19 spreading.
Ensuring adequate fresh air is a legal obligation, but it’s hard for businesses to know how much ventilation is enough, and exactly where in the building it’s needed.
Over half of the businesses that have already borrowed a device have found that they have hotspots, such as busy meeting rooms, that show levels of C02 that would indicate a higher risk. But with just two weeks of regular testing, many have found relatively easy ways to mitigate it and keep their staff and business safe.”
Optima Warehouse Solutions in Stafford borrowed one of the devices for two weeks and found easy solutions to higher C02 in some areas.
Chris Roberts, managing director, said:
The staff appreciated using the monitor. It has made them feel really secure knowing that even when the office is busy, the open window and doors policy we have in place is working and our C02 levels are low.”
Any business borrowing a C02 monitor from the county council will not need to hand over any data they have collected from testing and will be signposted to guidance by the Health and Safety Executive if more help is needed.
Businesses can express an interest to borrow a hand-held C02 monitor for free at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/CarbonDioxideMonitors