How to Use Cooling Equipment During Covid-19

With many people now returning to the workplace, it's important for employers to ensure their working environments are safe, clean and Covid secure.

One common question over the last 18 months has been whether it is safe to use cooling equipment such as air conditioning, fans and evaporative coolers in public spaces and workplaces.

THE HSE STATES...

The HSE states that the law says employers must make sure there’s an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of the workplace. This has not changed during the pandemic.

You can do this by using:

• Natural ventilation - fresh air comes in through open windows, doors or air vents. This is also known as ‘passive airflow’, or
• Mechanical ventilation - fans and ducts bring in fresh air from outside

Deciding what adequate ventilation looks like in your workplace should be part of a risk assessment.

INCREASE FRESH AIR VOLUMES

Good ventilation can help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, so where possible, consider ways to increase the supply of fresh air, for example, by opening windows and doors (unless fire doors). Try to prevent pockets of stagnant air in occupied spaces, you can do this by using ceiling fans, desk fans or opening windows, for example. The risk of transmission through the use of ceiling and desk fans is also extremely low.

Single-hose portable air conditioners work by pulling stagnant air from inside the room. The unit then cools the air for circulation throughout the space. By using exhaust hose air conditioning type units, stale air and moisture are exhausted out of the room.

MAINTAIN HUMIDITY BETWEEN 40% AND 60%

It is commonly agreed among scientists that the spread of viruses and bacteria is drastically reduced when relative humidity (RH) is maintained between 40% and 60%. 

Humidity control becomes a potential issue when high volumes of air conditioning are combined with poor or insufficient ventilation. If good natural ventilation is present, then the use of evaporative coolers is often an excellent solution as they will add moisture to the atmosphere while simultaneously reducing the air temperature.

Use a dehumidifier to decrease humidity if required.

Please note, it is not advised to increase the humidity or use evaporative coolers in sensitive areas such as computer data rooms.

HOW SPEEDY CAN HELP

Speedy can provide a complete range of cooling solutions for every working environment, so that you can stay productive and work safely this summer.

AIR CONDITIONERS

Keep your home or workplace cool and comfortable with our range of portable air conditioners, available to book and hire online today. You'll find a range of different-sized air conditioning units for hire at Speedy.

EVAPORATIVE COOLERS

Ideal for use in larger rooms and businesses like pubs and offices, take advantage of our evaporative coolers for hire to keep things fresh and comfortable. Book and hire online from Speedy today.

FANS

Stay cool throughout the warm weather with our fan-hire offerings. Available to book and hire online now, browse our crowd cooling fans, perfect for use in gyms, or industrial turbo fans and warehouse fans.

View our full range of cooling products