The global COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for more effective cleaning processes inside safer and healthier buildings that utilize sustainable methods that place the long-term wellbeing of occupants and the environment above appearance and short-term profits.
A Sustainable Future--The Need for Safer, Healthier Buildings
There exists a strong probability that the design of commercial buildings contributed to the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Energy-conscious building designs limit airflow--an issue commonly cited at the heart of sick building syndrome and the spread of other airborne pathogens.
Further, cleaning methods and hand hygiene products have come under scrutiny due to increased accidental poisonings, dangerous product recalls, and distressingly high and unnecessary applications of toxic disinfectants resulting in catastrophic environmental damage and, likely, presently undetected long-term human illness.
Addressing these challenges to promote occupant mental and physical health while severely limiting the impact cleaning has on the environment is increasingly of paramount concern to businesses and office workers, especially as full facility re-entry is looming closer on the horizon.
COVID-19, Indoor Air Quality, and the Future of Building Design
As of the time of this publication, the predominant theory is that SARS-CoV-2 is primarily spread via airborne transmission.
Combatting the transmission of airborne pathogens inside tightly sealed buildings requires increased airflow--a major challenge for many facilities that were designed to conserve energy restrict the flow of air from the outside.
Modern building designs and HVAC upgrades will be needed to facilitate improved environmental controls and combined with biophilic designs to help filter out airborne toxins and increase occupant feelings of wellbeing and relaxation.
Interestingly, many industry predictions foresee a world where office designs include windows that open and the increased use of outdoor workspaces.
Further, improved filtration systems and UVC lighting strategically placed in air ducts and waterways will be used to safely kill air and waterborne pathogens without the use of chemicals.
According to GreenBiz;
Over the past decade, the density of office buildings has increased in a bid for ever-increasing efficiency.
To keep energy costs low, contractors worked to tightly seal buildings including designing windows that don’t open.
Improvements in ventilation technology have decreased energy consumption by up to 30 percent.
As workers return to the offices, the amount of fresh air in a building could be one of the most drastic shifts facilities have to make.
Architects predict that the amount of fresh air in buildings will skyrocket.
Buildings might have to embrace windows that open, increase the fresh air take up and invest in outdoor workspaces.
To make offices safe during COVID-19, buildings need a breath of fresh air
Implementing Healthier Cleaning Methods and Strategic Disinfection Practices
Chlorine bleach is one of the most commonly used disinfectant products on the planet.
During the pandemic, bleach was sprayed indiscriminately on the streets, throughout buildings, and on other surfaces to kill the virus--a completely unnecessary process given SARS-CoV-2's low rate of surface survivability.
That isn't the first time, even in recent memory, that bleach has been sprayed by government health officials to combat the spread of pathogens.
As recently as 2017, officials in San Diego, CA ordered the streets to be sprayed with bleach to combat the rise of hepatitis among the homeless population.
According to NPR;
San Diego has started washing its downtown streets with bleach in an effort to combat an outbreak of hepatitis A that has killed at least 15 people and infected nearly 400.
The infectious disease has largely infected homeless people in the coastal California city, and part of the issue is an apparent shortage of public restrooms in areas where the population congregates.
San Diego Washing Streets With Bleach To Combat Hepatitis A Outbreak
Why is that a problem?
Manufacturers that use chlorine bleach release it in water with other liquid industrial waste.
When it is in the water, the chlorine mixes with other minerals and elements already in the water. This process creates new toxins.
The toxins include dioxins, furans and PCDDs called “persistent organic pollutants” named as such because they stay in water and can take a few years until they completely disappear.
Greenpeace claims dioxin is one of the most dangerous chemicals in history and warns others that it can contribute to cancer, endocrine disorders and other health risks.
West Virginia University also conducted a study and discovered that dioxins can be associated with low sperm count, testicular cancer and breast cancer because they can mimic human hormones.
Modern Solutions for Modern Problems
If one positive can be divined from the fallout of the pandemic, it is the push by consumers and workers in the US for healthier, more sustainable built environments.
According to a recent Harris Poll;
- 61% of U.S. adults believe commercial facilities should have indoor air quality controls in place.
- 58% of Americans believe commercial facilities should implement energy and water-saving practices, and;
- 49% say commercial buildings should have single-use plastic reduction practices.
Source:
Environmentally preferable cleaning practices and products address all of these challenges in a manner meant to increase and uphold the health and safety of the environment and everyone sharing the same space by leveraging:
- Advanced microfiber tools that capture microbes, including dirt, germs, mold, and bacteria.
- Ecolabel products registered with the EPA against known pathogens and pathogenic bacteria, and;
- Technologies that reduce natural resource use and waste through electronically controlled measurements, mixing, and product application rates, and computer-assisted route mapping.
Takeaway
The biggest takeaway from the post-COVID push for sustainable buildings and business practices is the need for strategic planning and training by stakeholders at every organizational level.
Outsourcing your organization's sustainable cleaning and disinfection requirements to an experienced service provider is a proven method for onboarding in-demand services at a significantly lower cost than maintaining and managing a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
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