Indoor Air Quality

Australians are spending more time at work or indoors. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Australians spend approximately 1600 hours at work per year. The Australian government’s State of the Environment website states that Australians spend 90% of their time indoors. These trends coincide with a widespread cultural shift towards a greater concern for health and wellbeing. Allen Consulting Group, in a 2012 report commissioned by Medibank, noted that 57% of employees surveyed deemed a company’s focus on health and wellbeing as important. In addition, 85% of survey respondents believed employers should offer workplace health programs or otherwise invest in employee health and wellbeing. In today’s competitive market, astute employers seek to set themselves apart by offering safe, healthy and productive workplaces. However, only 45% of respondents to the Allen Consulting Group survey reported that their employers offered workplace health initiatives. As work hours continue to mount, it is clear that work conditions are a critical factor in the overall health and wellbeing of workers. Other indicators of organisational health, such as employee productivity and retention, have also been linked to good employee health and wellbeing. It is critical for designers and specifiers to incorporate solutions that contribute to the health and wellbeing of end users wherever possible. In this whitepaper, we focus on flooring solutions and how careful specification can boost indoor air quality in the workplace and enhance employee health, satisfaction, and productivity.

 ‘Indoor air’ is defined as “air within a building occupied for at least one hour by people of varying states of health.” “Indoor Air Quality” (IAQ) refers to the air quality inside and around buildings. Pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dust, mould, allergens, and other particulate matter can impact IAQ and make conditions hazardous for the occupants, particularly where indoor pollutant levels equal or exceed outdoor levels. Given the amount of time Australians spend indoors, designers and specifiers must account for IAQ when creating indoor spaces. The range of factors that can impact IAQ can be organised into two primary categories: structural or environmental.

Structural factors that impact IAQ are related to the composition of the interior space, including what materials are used to create the space and its functional aspects. Building materials such as newly installed flooring, upholstery and cabinetry may off-gas VOCs. Chemicals such as acetone, benzene, ethylene glycol and formaldehyde evaporate at room temperature and are found in many products used indoors. Exposure to low levels of VOCs for any significant period of time can pose health risks to occupants. Accordingly, flooring selection is critical. If not carefully specified, vinyl or luxury vinyl tiles, which are commonly used in high traffic areas like kitchens and breakout spaces, can off-gas significant amounts of VOCs. Designers and specifiers should thus seek high quality, low VOC products when specifying flooring. Other structural factors include windows that do not open, which can result in poor air circulation, and poor insulation, which causes high humidity levels that in turn give rise to condensation, mould and mildew. With the recent trend towards energy conservation, some building designs do not allow for adequate release of building contaminants or sufficient airflow and ventilation, causing ‘Sick Building Syndrome’, the symptoms of which include eye and throat irritation, headaches and fatigue.

“Sick Building Syndrome”, which describes an excess of the above symptoms – particularly eye, nose, throat, and skin irritations13 – can occur due to inadequate ventilation and subsequently high levels of CO2 within a building. These conditions also negatively affect breathability and create humidity that in turn enables the build-up of moisture and mould.14

Employee health and wellbeing 

Poor IAQ in the workspace can have a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of employees. Exposure to indoor pollutants can cause ailments such as eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as headaches, dizziness, asthma and allergies. Long-term health impacts, such as cancer and respiratory disease, are also possible as a consequence of extended exposure to chemicals such as formaldehyde.Indoor spaces that do not adequately address build-up of dust and allergens can cause short and long-term health issues for occupants. These include coughing, sneezing, hay fever and eye irritation in the short term.Long term health impacts can include reduced lung function and chronic bronchitis. 

Employee productivity and retention 

Numerous Australian studies have established the connection between employee health and wellbeing and productivity.In a study conducted by Comcare, it was found that the healthiest employees are almost three times more effective than the least healthy employees.Beyond this, reduced rates of absenteeism have been reported in workspaces where health risks are minimised, underscoring the potential for wellbeing measures to prevent significant financial costs from lost productivity. Improved staff retention has also been linked to employee health and wellbeing; companies that promote employee health and wellbeing have been found to better retain staff.In a 2011 paper presented by the Centre for Health Service Development, staff retention was reported as among the highest-ranking benefits of establishing wellbeing programs within an organisation. 

The Relationship Between Carpet and IAQ 

In the context of flooring, carefully specified flooring solutions can have a significant impact on IAQ. As part of a holistic approach to wellness alongside other measures such as operable windows, air purification or humidification systems, and living walls, carpet can positively contribute to a healthy workplace in the following ways:

• improving acoustics by reducing unwanted noise; 

• providing a safe, non-slip surface due to carpet being inherently non-slip and cushioned; 

• reducing glare by providing a non-reflective surface; 

• improving walking comfort and stress due to carpet’s impact absorbing qualities;and 

• enhancing indoor air quality by trapping dust particles and reducing VOC emissions. Compared to other flooring solutions carpet emits low levels of VOCs that degrade quickly. This is due to the carpet manufacturing process; carpet is finished at temperatures of 150°C to 170°C, eliminating most VOCs including solvents. According to the Carpet Institute of Australia (CIA), 90% of all VOCs off-gassed from carpet dissipate within two days of installation, falling below most IAQ requirements within a few days with good ventilation.29 Due to its structure and composition, carpet acts as an effective indoor air filter. Carpet has a larger micro surface than other flooring materials such as vinyl, timber and tile, ensuring it captures dust and other airborne particulate matter. Particulates are stored in the fibre mass of carpet until it can be vacuumed. The CIA has cited studies that found that the average amount of airborne dust particles over smooth floors was twice that of carpeted floors.30 Provided proper cleaning and maintenance procedures are followed, carpet provides an effective and healthy flooring solution for workspaces and other indoor environments. Designers and specifiers should seek high performing carpet and other nontoxic flooring solutions that are low maintenance and sustainable, with a long product lifecycle, in order to deliver maximum health benefits to end-users.