UK Government urge businesses to increase ventilation to reduce the risk of airborne transmission
15th September 2020
As schools, colleges, offices, gyms, leisure centres, shops, restaurants and other indoor facilities begin to open, the UK Government are urging us to increase ventilation, to reduce the risk of airborne transmission.
Public Health England explain that “a single air change is estimated to remove 63% of airborne contaminants... and after 5 air changes, less than 1% of the original airborne contamination is thought to remain”.
The current guidance explains that; "Good ventilation can help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, so focus on improving general ventilation, preferably through fresh air or mechanical systems."
Also; "Where possible, consider ways to maintain and increase the supply of fresh air."
"If you use a centralised ventilation system that removes and circulates air to different rooms it is recommended that you turn off re-circulation and use a fresh air supply."
The HSE are recommending that you open windows and doors to increase fresh air, and use fans to ensure that the fresh air is circulated and that there are no stagnant spaces. Of course, in the winter it may not be viable to open windows and doors therefore you may wish to consider installing a temporary ventilation system.
The HSE explain that ventilation and air conditioning units are OK to use, but ideally you should not be using a centralised ventilation system that recirculates the same air into different rooms. You either need a centralised system that will circulate fresh air, or you need individual ventilation units for each room.
If your existing ventilation system does not meet the new government guidelines, you may need to look for a temporary solution. Here are some solutions that you may wish to consider;
1. For a single room, try the "Raptor".
The Dustex Raptor is a multi-functional air filtration unit, delivering up to 1000 m3 of clean air per hour. It includes a HEPA filter that will remove 99.97% of particulate and will provide at least 15 air changes per hour in a small to medium sized room. The unit is easy to set up; just plug the Raptor in and it will operate as a high airflow filtration unit that will filter and recirculate clean air in the room. What makes this unit different from many standard air filtration units on the market, is that you can use it to create a positive or negative pressure environment. When used with ducting, you can draw in fresh air from the outside to create a positive pressure environment inside; alternatively, if you use the unit in reverse, you can extract air out of the room to create a negative pressure environment. Click here to learn more.
2. For a large building, look at Ventex Ventilation Solutions.
If you are looking for a larger temporary solution that will draw in clean air from outside, you may wish to consider using the Ventex range of fans; offering airflows of between 3,000 and 120,000 m/3 per hour. RVT offer both axial and centrifugal fans in a variety of sizes, and all units can be configured to provide either positive of negative pressure.
For example, we recently installed a temporary positive pressure ventilation solution into a gym. We used a Ventex Centrifugal Fan 450S to force clean air into the building, thereby creating a positive pressure, and displacing any contaminated air. This also kept the gym nice and cool while members enjoyed their workout.
We also recently worked with the John Radcliffe hospital to provide a temporary negative pressure solution. Again we used a Ventex Centrifugal Fan 450S, but this time the system was configured in reverse to extract out contaminated air and maintain a negative pressure environment inside the hospital ward. Read the full case study.
Not seen a solution that's right for you?
RVT are specialists in ventilation and will be able to tailor a solution to your exact requirements.
Give us a call on 0808 178 3286 to discuss your requirements, or click here to submit an online enquiry.
Alternatively, you can browse our ventilation solutions here.
Sources: HSE
This information was correct on 07.09.2020
