COVID-19 had a significant and lasting effect on businesses, especially with the new evidence of airborne variants. Alarmed, the Department of Labor and Employment has set guidelines on Ventilation and Public Transport.
More than a year of this pandemic and the virus has mutated - initially thought to spread via droplet infection, the latest variants are airborne, researchers say. More alarming, said virus particles can linger in the air in aerosol form for up to 16 hours. Thus, very fleeting contact can lead to transmission.
Air movement, therefore, becomes significant in preventing transmission - especially in workplaces where most of the work is done indoors at long hours where ventilation may, unknowingly, be poor or inadequate. In an indoor space where ventilation is insufficient, an infected person (asymptomatic or still in the incubation stage) may come and go, but the virus lingers in the air. So, it is still possible for a person passing through that area to breathe in the infected air. Furthermore, while 15 minutes of exposure was the concern at the early stages of the pandemic, with the Delta variant, the consideration is now down to 5 to 10 seconds only. The situation has put the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on the alert since most workplaces operate indoors. It thus set Guidelines on Ventilation for Workplaces and Public Transport. under D.O. 224-21 signed March 3, 2021.
Without actual measurement of air exchange in the workplace, the Department Order has listed practical tips to ensure acceptable and safe indoor air quality through a checklist for non-air-conditioned and air-conditioned workplaces. Items in the said checklist include clean and open windows and doors or other openings, no lingering smells, stuffiness of the room, feeling of humidity and/or smokiness in the room, number and operation of ventilation, and exhaust fans.
For a more quantitative assessment, especially for air-conditioned spaces or workplaces, ventilation measurements are done by the company's trained safety officer or EHS personnel, DOLE''s Occupational Safety and Health Center, or by DOLE-accredited WEM Service Providers.
People360's Work Environment Measurement is a DOLE-accredited service that provides accurate evaluation and appraisal. People360 can assist in the ventilation measurements and assessment and compute the air change per hour (ACH), one of the key indicators identified by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) as a viable means of decreasing transmission of COVID in a workplace.
On a final note, doctors now advocate that there should be a change in our mindset in terms of transmission - the concern should be more in the air we breathe. So, mask up and open windows, doors in indoor settings or where people congregate, more than washing hands or cleaning/disinfecting surfaces. After all, with the Delta and new variants, it is the shared air that matters!
