Creating Cleaner Air for Those in Our Buildings

Health and safety are taking precedence over all other concerns as the entire world re-emerges from the pandemic. COVID-19 has sparked a major shift in priorities, and as such, a shift in responsibility for operators of the commercial scene.

Commercial real estate professionals have always carried a heavy burden of public concerns on their shoulders. As the entity in charge of a commercial property, ensuring that there are no pressing threats to any of the building’s occupants is a baseline of the job.

Whether it’s your management teams, tenants, or their clients, commercial property owners and operators should be doing everything they can to create clean, safe, and secure environments.

Typically, this includes making conscious decisions in terms of materials, building features, and pollutants – however, in the pandemic recovery period and beyond, sanitation is at the forefront of CRE’s efforts.

One of the main areas to focus on right now is clean air.

Don’t forget that the coronavirus is one of many airborne pathogens. Not only does it transmit through the air, but it’s also a respiratory virus, making healthy and clean air conditions even more important. Now and into the future, your building’s ability to filter, circulate, and purify air are major contributors to maintaining clean air quality within the space.

Here are a few important considerations to make when thinking about creating cleaner air for your building occupants:

Increasing Fresh Air Flow

Open-air spaces are less threatening for viral transmission as the density of personal pollution is reduced. Used air is cycled out with fresh air from outside of the building, actively eliminating the stagnant air in an enclosed space. Moving away from recycled air by relying more on fresh circulation is a straightforward way to improve indoor air quality.

Achieve this by setting up automatic filtered vents, but keep in mind that this strategy requires balancing utilities and maintaining comfortable atmospheric levels to ensure that this isn’t disrupting regular conditions.

Harness the Power of UV Lighting

Short-wave ultraviolet light has the power to disarm and eliminate many of the most common threats to clean air. Mold, bacteria, viral agents, and pathogens are deactivated by UV lighting – making them a useful solution for commercial pros seeking cleaner air.

Tools like the Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UGI) have been employed by many commercial real estate professionals to safely kill pathogens in their property during the pandemic.

Hospital Grade Air Filters

When in doubt, look towards the medical space – they’ve been mitigating infection with clean air strategies for years. Air filters offer an easy solution for guaranteed success. Filters with a minimum efficiency rating of value 13 or above are sufficient for the commercial landscape.

Continuous Air and Surface Pathogen Reduction (CASPR)

Another solution for CRE is the CASPR, an air sanitation tactic that releases small amounts of hydrogen peroxide into the air to kill atmospheric germs. Plus, this will also disinfect surfaces within your asset – leading to an even deeper clean building experience.

Make sure you’re facilitating the clean air experience that your building’s occupants deserve with these 4 air-quality tips for the commercial space.