In Part I of our Ventilation series, we covered parking garages and why proper airflow is so important for occupant safety.

But what about other areas outside our homes that could benefit from improved ventilation and airflow?

Ventilation for Other Applications, Especially During the Pandemic

Buildings where people spend a lot of time such as workplaces, schools, hospitals, and grocery stores also need proper ventilation for health and safety reasons. This is even truer now during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Maria Neira explains why ventilation is so important to prevent the virus from spreading indoors during an interview with the World Health Organization (WHO): “Ventilation represents … a very important factor to prevent the virus from spreading indoors. … Whenever it's possible in public spaces or in buildings, ensure a natural ventilation, opening the windows. In places like and in settings like schools or working in places or touristic places, what we are recommending is to increase the rate of air change, increase the rate of ventilation by natural ways or mechanical ones, always trying to avoid the recirculation of the air. And when you cannot avoid it, then having filters that are properly and regularly maintained and changed as needed. Please don't forget that ventilation is very important but it's not the only measure. So, this has to be one intervention part of a package of interventions to prevent COVID-19 from being spread.”

Some additional recommendations from the CDC for increased ventilation include:

• Ensure ventilation systems operate properly and provide acceptable indoor air quality for the current occupancy level for each space.
• Increase ventilation rates when possible.
• Keep systems running longer hours, 24/7 if possible, to enhance air exchanges in the building space.
• Ensure restroom exhaust fans are functional and operating at full capacity.
• Inspect and maintain local exhaust ventilation in areas such as kitchens and cooking areas.
• Use portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems to help enhance air cleaning (especially in higher-risk areas such as a nurse's office or areas frequently inhabited by persons with higher likelihood of COVID-19 and/or increased risk of getting COVID-19).
• Generate clean-to-less-clean air movement by re-evaluating the positioning of supply and exhaust air diffusers and/or dampers (especially in higher-risk areas).

Just like in parking garages, the materials used in public spaces should work as a sieve, letting fresh air in while keeping prying eyes and hands out. With a variety of options to choose from, the security, visibility, and airflow allowed by a security grille or perforated door slats are customizable.

CornellCookson’s ScreenGard™ perforated slat doors are like security grilles in parking garages, but for applications that require airflow indoors. Used anywhere you’re looking to increase ventilation and security, the perforated slat sizes on ScreenGard™ can be adjusted for more or less airflow as needed. With the ventilation recommendations for homes and workplaces erring on the side of “more is best,” having materials such as ScreenGard™ can assist in achieving more airflow and ventilation throughout your building.

Reducing airborne contaminants, whether they’re of the carbon monoxide or SARS-CoV-2 variety, is important no matter what or where they may be. Don’t gamble with your own or others’ health: make sure your building is properly ventilated for the safety of all.

To err on the side of caution when it comes to airflow in your space, contact us today for more info on ScreenGard™ perforated slat doors:  885.982.2022.

Additional resources:

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-know-you-are-in-well-ventilated-indoor-space-2020-6

https://www.parking-mobility.org/2016/01/20/tpp-2014-04-garage-ventilation/

https://www.parking-mobility.org/news-publications/ipmi-blog/

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