Within a contemporary office there are likely to be some employees who are prone to allergies. This could be a dust allergy, hay fever, or something else entirely, but it’s something which needs to be addressed in order to keep everyone healthy and happy at work.
Whilst you can’t completely cut out the risk of allergies within an office, there are some tips for staying healthy at work that can be passed down to employees, such as making an effort to head outside on breaks and get some fresh air, drink plenty of water, and asking employees to avoid wearing strong perfumes.
Certain allergies are affected by airborne allergens, and in that case, the air quality in the office needs to be addressed. Check out this infographic for more information.
Source - https://www.breathingspace.co.uk/blog/infographic-air-quality-in-the-workplace/
Keeping your employees healthy means a happy and productive environment, so what else can you do to reduce the chances of allergies?
- Look at your flooring – It’s a good idea to go for wooden or laminate types of flooring, as these cannot hold allergens in the same way as carpeting.
- Install some office plants – Office plants are great at purifying the air. Simply make sure you don’t have flowered options as these can be an allergen in themselves for some employees.
- Open the windows regularly – Fresh air is vital if you want to clean the office of any dust and keep it unstuffy.
- Use air purifiers – If you have someone in the office who is particularly prone to allergies, they can use a desk-sized air purifier.
- Make sure your air conditioning filters are cleaned – Its really easy to clean air conditioning filters, so simply make sure that you do so on a weekly basis at least, if you use your unit throughout the day, every day.
These are some useful ways you can reduce the chances of allergens spoiling the day. Whilst employees do need to take responsibility for their own health if they have a particular issue, e.g. taking any medication they have been prescribed, and keeping inhalers or other prescribed items nearby, it’s the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the office is as clean and healthy as it can possibly be.
Allergies aren’t only a problem during the summer months. Remember that dust is an allergy and that can happen at any time! Make sure the office is cleaned regularly and that all shelving and storage are dusted down and cleaned weekly at the very least.