Every person and business is learning to live with and operate safely alongside COVID-19. We have long known about the health benefits associated with good indoor ventilation and air quality. Because of this ventilation plays an unsurprisingly important key role in preventing the spread of COVID-19. It is also vital for ensuring the health of customers and staff. This is especially true in commercial buildings and businesses where industrial exhaust fans work hard to keep people safe.
What Does Ventilation Do To Stop The Spread Of COVID-19?
Good industrial ventilation directly removes contaminated air and distributes fresh and clean air indoors. ASHRAE explains that “Ventilation and filtration provided by heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems can reduce the airborne concentration of SARS-CoV-2 and thus the risk of transmission through the air.”
However, the article also acknowledges the importance of air-conditioning in keeping spaces cool. The “thermal stress” related to unconditioned spaces “may be directly life-threatening”. Additionally, it can reduce a person’s resistance to infection. ASHRAE therefore considers both heating and cooling to be important in maintaining public health. Not just ventilation.
Our commercial exhaust fans are powerful extractors that are perfect for these kinds of applications. We offer two different industrial extractor fans in our Solar Whiz Commercial range. These are:
- The SW-RAF7000, capable of extracting up to 7,000m³/h of air,
- The SW-RAF10000, capable of extracting up to 10,000m³/h of air.
This is a massive advantage over the minute 100 m³/h that traditional whirlybirds can move. So don’t settle for a unit that doesn’t meet your ventilation requirements. Solar Whiz is clearly the better choice when it comes to choosing a product for your building.
What Kind Of Ventilation Is The Best To Reduce and Remove COVID-19 Particles?
Many scientific studies look into the airborne transmission of COVID-19 and the ways that it can be reduced. This study found that ventilation can be highly effective at minimising the spread of COVID-19. “Appropriate distribution of ventilation (e.g. placement of supply and exhaust vents) ensures that adequate dilution is achieved where and when needed, avoiding the build-up of viral contamination”.
Air-conditioning and some ventilation systems often use recirculated air in order to save energy. However, these systems can be extremely dangerous in a world where Covid-19 is known to spread via airborne droplets. Recirculated air “can transport airborne contaminants (including infectious viruses) from one space and distribute them to other spaces connected to the same system.” This can “potentially increasing the risk of airborne infection in areas that otherwise would not have been contaminated.”
There were 5 basic recommendations that the paper made to businesses:
- Use powerful and efficient ventilation
- Particle filtration and air disinfection should be incorporated into the industrial ventilation system
- Limit crowds and encourage social distancing
- Limit or remove any kind of air recirculation
COVID-19 is increasingly a part of our everyday lives, making it more important than ever to ventilate our commercial buildings properly. We believe that all businesses and homes should read the study and seriously consider investing in a good non-recycling ventilation system (such as Solar Whiz).
What Happens If Ventilation Isn’t Good Enough In A Building?
This research letter studies and explains how poor ventilation in a restaurant in Guangzhou, China resulted in the infection of 10 diners. Contact tracing found that a ductless fan coil transported infected droplets to an adjoining table. The asymptomatic customer unknowingly caused an outbreak involving 3 family clusters.
Industrial extractor fans like Solar Whiz would have been the ideal product to prevent the outbreak in this restaurant. Extracting the polluted air from around the customers would have drastically decreased their exposure to the virus.
Everyone needs to make sure that they are doing their part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Especially as COVID-19 becomes a normal part of daily life. All businesses should use good ventilation to keep customers and employees safe. Solar Whiz believes that industrial ventilation needs to become a much greater focus in all buildings.
The World Health Organization explains that “Ventilation is an important factor in preventing the virus that causes COVID-19 from spreading indoors. In all workplaces, schools and tourist accommodations, there should be fresh, clean air. WHO recommends an increased ventilation rate through natural or mechanical means, preferably without recirculation of the air.” Do your part in protecting the people around you by installing the right industrial ventilation in your business building. Solar Whiz offers the best performance on the Australian market. Give us a call today to hear about how we can help you achieve the results you need.
