Whether in an office or factory, ventilation of fresh air into the working environment is needed for a number of reasons, not least of which is to provide oxygen for the occupants to breath. Over time, the air conditioning plant and air ducts will inevitably become contaminated, and it is important that these should be kept clean before they adversely affect the health of the people working within the buildings. Ventilation is a term that refers to the flow of air into and out of a working area, for example and office space, so that any contaminants are diluted by adding some fresh air. This can be provided by: a) natural ventilation which relies on wind pressure and temperature differences to move fresh air through a building and is usually not fully controllable. or b) mechanical or forced ventilation that uses mechanical extraction and/or supply to deliver fresh air and which can be controlled. Fresh air is required in the workplace in order to; - provide oxygen for breathing in and to remove carbon dioxide from breathing out; remove excess heat or, if conditioned, provide heat (e.g. in winter) and keep a comfortable temperature; - dilute and remove body and other types of odours (e.g. food); and - dilute any contaminants caused by workplace activities (i.e. the use of dilution ventilation following a risk assessment). Insufficient fresh air may result in headaches, lethargy, tiredness as well as dry or itchy skin and eye irritation in your workforce. These symptoms might also occur when working in buildings and offices that have been poorly designed as well as when the working environment is poor. The symptoms are generally worse in buildings where there is not enough fresh air, or where the fresh air supply may come into contact with contaminants in the air supply system. These are common symptoms of what is generally known as "Sick Building Syndrome". So, keeping the air ventilation system, including the air ducts, clean is an important element of facilities management. The Approved Code of Practice to Regulation 6 of the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) regulations 1992 requires that any mechanical ventilation systems, including air conditioning systems, which you use to provide fresh air should be regularly and properly cleaned, tested and maintained to make sure they are kept clean and free from anything which may contaminate the air and cause health problems. As a useful guide, if you can run your fingers along the inside of a duct and you find that it becomes covered with dust then the ducting probably needs cleaning. A good source of information on testing for likely contaminants in ductwork and on cleaning are oganisations such as the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)and the Heating and Ventilation Contractors Association (HVCA). A reputable air-duct cleaning company will have a wide range of specialist devices, air jets and brushes designed for cleaning air ducts, which will allow them to eradicate contamination and disinfect air ducting where necessary. An air duct system is generally cleaned in the direction of the airflow. Therefore, a supply system is cleaning in its entirety from the fresh air intakes through to the supply diffusers. Conversely, the return extract is cleaned from the extract grills through to the mixing chamber or discharge. On completion, it is often recommended that the ventilation system is sanitised to provide long term protection. For example, a polymeric emulsion Sanitiser (PDS) is atomised into the ventilation system. After it has been introduced into the ventilation system it leaves an thin layer on the air duct surface that reduces corrosion. PDS also contains an anti-microbial for long term air duct protection.
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