Covid-19 is not going anywhere. With new strains appearing consistently, we still need to be on guard. Fortunately a huge amount of people have had at least their first vaccine, with this false sense of complete security, now would be a good time to be wary.

A company’s most important asset is its people and with strict rules still in place in the office, Covid has brought to light the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Indoor Air Quality

Key features:

• IAQ’s benefits.
• How it works.
• How it will improve your office space.

It is not just Covid that is highly dangerous and spread via aerosols in the air. The World Health Organisation estimates that Tuberculosis infects 1.8 billion people. But in 2020, 10 million people fell ill with TB and out of those infections, 1.4 million people died. And in 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people. 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) have a health target in place to end the TB epidemic by 2030. TB is just one of many bacteria and viruses that spread easily, like Covid. However, they all share one thing: UV-C destroys them on contact!

How it works

The use of UV-C has been around for many years, with newspapers now writing about the proper use of UV-C to inactivate pathogens that are spread quickly indoors.

There appear to be different types of UV-C installations that will keep the office safe:

• Upper Room Ultra-Violet Germicidal Irradiation
• In-Duct Heating Ventilation
• HVAC systems
• Mobile/Portable devices

All four can inactivate pathogens in seconds. You can program the robot to drive around the office while safely emitting UV-C to destroy pathogens on surfaces and in the surrounding air. Upper Room UVGI can be used for destroying pathogens that rise to the upper air volume of the room and is safe to use while people are in the office. Lighting can be installed where you change out the existing light fittings for versions that include UV-C which come on automatically when the building is empty.  Finally, within HVAC systems, where the UV-C is installed next to the cooling coils in both AHUs and FCUs.

How it will improve your office space

All these options will make the office a safer place to work. It shows employees that their employer is taking their health and wellbeing seriously. It is not a one way street as the employer will benefit from improving IAQ.

How much does it cost each time someone calls in sick?

What about in the afternoon when staff are feeling tired and aren’t as focused or the productivity level drops off?

I am confident that one of the largest outgoings for a business would be the running costs for their HVAC system. The robot on the other hand is more cost effective by 20-30 percent. Please be aware of cheap UV-C products that can be purchased online and speak to the professionals as installation needs to be done correctly.

IAQ is getting a lot more interest in the last year, do not miss out on improving your office space with IAQ too.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.

Bryair decided to conduct an experiment before Christmas. 

Seeing as we have been pushing UVC for improving Indoor Air Quality, it would have been incredibly hypocritical if we at Bryair had not installed UVC within our office.

We installed UVC in our AC system in August 2020 and since have continued performing regular maintenance every three months, ensuring that we keep the filters clean.

We have a split AC system with two cassette units installed within the ceiling void. These cassette units are in the same room and therefore spaced on 3.5m apart.

Bryair is fully behind the fact that UVC offers so many health benefits as well as helps to save money by reducing energy bills. Personnel were present in the office during the installation of the UVC system and observed the coloured UVC light. However, once the cassette was closed, observers could no longer see any visible indication of operation.

• How clean are they?
• Are they doing a thorough job? 
• Do the tools used adequately perform the task?
• Is the cleaning spray toxic? 

So, seeing is believing, right?!

Our Experiment

It was decided to perform the experiment within our office. We decided we would turn the UVC off in one of our cassette units in November. We then purchased contact plate petri dishes and conducted a swab test in January. The team pushed each of the contact plates into the coil fins of the cassette units in the office, sealed them, and left them in place over the weekend.

Figure 1 shows that the clean Petri dish on the left was swabbed from the unit with UVC. The Petri dish on the right, showing clear mould growth, was swabbed from the non-UVC cassette.

Two and a half days after performing the swab tests, the result is conclusive. The team has now sent the contact plates to a lab to analyse the contents of the mould. But this does prove what an efficient job UVC does.

Our Findings

Inhaling mould fragments or spores can inflame the airways, causing nasal congestion, wheezing, chest tightness, coughing and throat irritation. Prolonged exposure to high levels of mould can reduce lung function and cause chronic health problems such as asthma.

Evidence of mould forming on coils is representative that a biofilm has formed on the coil. The mould doubles in size every 4-6 hours and easily multiplies into a billion organisms in 12 days. As long as the mould is ‘alive’, it will keep growing. This biofilm continues to make the HVAC system less and less efficient as the biofilm grows.

Even a biofilm on the coil with 0.15mm thickness will reduce the efficiency of the AC unit and will require an extra 11% of energy to drive the unit to the same settings. Since the units are underperforming, users often turn up the settings on the control units to achieve the same thermal comfort, which in turn requires even more energy to obtain the same results.

Experiment Conclusion

Installing UVC within the HVAC systems provide better health and wellbeing, increased employee productivity, less sick days, equipment sustainability, obtain BREEAM® credits, reduce Carbon Foot and save money on energy bills which have over the past 10 years risen sharply and will continue to do so as the government strive towards a carbon net zero by 2050.

Seeing is Believing!!

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.

Figure 1: Petri dishes from experiment

Bryair Mechanical are excited to announce a new partnership with NESA Robotics

NESA Robotics helps clients create safe and healthy environments. They are proud to offer the UltraViolet Defence (UVD) Robot and GoBe Telepresence Robot.

The UVD Robot uses UV-C to disinfect large areas quickly, and as a result, it can efficiently complete disinfection of 25m² office in under 6 minutes.

Together with E-Co, who are the UK’s foremost company for high-intensity UV-C solutions in HVAC systems and creating healthier environments. Using world renowned technology from SterilAire™, we help implement Indoor Air Quality Improvement strategies and programmes. This is for commercial, institutional and healthcare premises.

Green and efficient, our UV-C technology destroys bacteria, viruses and mould. At the same time, it creates cleaner, safer and more productive work environments while significantly reducing HVAC operating costs. In addition, UV-C helps our company keep running despite the challenges COVID-19 is causing for in-person businesses.

James Bryers, director of Bryair Mechanical said,

“I am delighted we have secured the partnership with NESA Robotics on top of our partnership with E-Co. These two strategic partnerships allow Bryair to diversify its already strong offering of mechanical, design installation and maintenance to complete Covid-19 safe offering within the workplace”.

By working with NESA Robotics and E-Co, Bryair Mechanical can now offer a full COVID-19 safety solution for commercial spaces. Plus, this partnership brings together advanced tools and expert systems, which makes the solution both effective and reliable for many types of spaces. As a result, staff can return to a fully cleaned environment with better air quality.

By keeping the workplace fully disinfected, we can five our employees the best experience. In addition, this helps create a safer and healthier environment. Moreover, this approach shows our employees that the company cares about their health and wellbeing, building trust, confidence and a feeling of safety across the workplace.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.

9th November 2020, world news goes into overdrive.

Pfizer and BioNTech announced that they have developed a COVID-19 vaccine. It will be over 90 percent effective, ready to roll out via the NHS from the 1st December.

This is very welcome news giving us all hope that the, ‘old normal’ is right around the corner.

Does this mean we can forget about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

Absolutely not! Did you know that on average the air inside a building is worse than the air outside? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the levels of indoor air pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. In some cases these levels can exceed 100 times that of outdoor levels of the same pollutants.

Naturally, our reactions to issues are massively different when we can touch, see or feel things. By engaging our senses in this way, we consequently take matters more seriously and respond with greater attention.

If we can’t smell, feel or see anything then we are all completely happy that there is no problem. No senses engaged, no problem.

Just imagine how quickly you would call an expert if all viruses appeared red, germs yellow and aerosols blue. In that case, the view inside your building would feel as though you had just stepped into a rainbow. It would make potential threats immediately visible and easier to respond to.

What is the point if COVID-19 has disappeared?

While COVID-19 may disappear soon, we still need to consider that there are a lot of other viruses out there. Such as flu, c-diff and Noro. They spread around offices and schools causing illness and time off work.

This costs the company money in downtime, project delays and other costs.

What about the other benefits of providing good quality air?

Health and wellbeing: If we can stop the spread of these viruses around the office and reduce employee absenteeism by 5-20%, imagine what a benefit that would be! In addition, improving the health and wellbeing of people in the office helps them feel better throughout the day. Which, in turn boosts their concentration and overall productivity.

Environmental impact: In June 2019, the UK government became the first major economy to pass a net zero emissions law, setting a target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. At the same time, it’s important to note that building HVAC systems contribute roughly 25-35 percent of the energy bill. This highlights a key area where improvements can make a significant difference. There is also the ability to obtain BREEAM® and LEED® credits in multiple categories as well as tax credits and incentives.

Energy and maintenance savings: The original and main reason for the UV-C technology has been to provide savings on energy and maintenance costs, which provided a return on investment within 12-24 months. Keeping the coils free from mould and biofilm achieves this. The more efficiently your systems run, the less energy you consume to achieve the same output.

Sustainability: The more efficient the HVAC system runs, the units and parts within them last longer. Maintenance visits once again become maintenance visits and NOT fault, find, repair and replace visits.

Our UV-C partner, E-Co, holds Carbon Trust accreditation. This means an independent body has assessed their skills and experience in delivering low-energy, high-performing solutions. We can make a difference, we can get through this and come out the other side better.  In addition, forgetting the term ‘The New Normal’ and the year 2020.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.

The news about lockdown has not delighted anyone, but we all need to start taking responsibility. The Covid-19 virus (along with other viruses) spreads through aerosols, which the building’s HVAC system picks up and passes to other people in the building who are not wearing masks ab.

Yet we continue to follow the governments limited advice for stopping the spread. Hands, face, space. This is the same advice authorities gave us back in March, and yet we are in another lockdown.

Technology is around to kill these viruses and improve the quality of air, improving our health and wellbeing.

In the latest CIBSE release on ventilation guidance, there is a significant section on UV-C. The latest guidance states, “When you use natural ventilation, open the dampers and/or windows, while being mindful of comfort factors”.

The new guidance dedicates a full section to UV-C disinfection. It states that UV-C operates in wavelengths of 254nm and has the ability to inactivate SARS-CoV2 and other pathogenic coronaviruses. This is due to disrupting the nucleic acids which form the viruses genome.

A lot of early studies have proven that UV-C deactivates SARS-CoV2 when aerosolised. The guidance document continues to explain the different ways installers can add UV-C to buildings to help eradicate viruses.

• Upper Room UltraViolet Germicidal Irradiation
• In-Duct UltraViolet Germicidal Irradiation
• UV-C Room Air Cleaners
• Unique disinfection system that is 80% effective at reducing transmission.

Upper Room UltraViolet Disinfection

This form of UV-C can achieve full indoor air disinfection while people are present. This is especially relevant in offices, schools etc.

In-Duct and HVAC

For the most effective microbial control, technicians install UVC germicidal emitters on the supply side of the HVAC system, downstream from the cooling coil and above the drain pan. This location provides more effective biofilm and microbial control, while still providing the highest dosages of UVC to the airstream.

UV-C Room Air Cleaners/Purifiers

Manufacturers design UV air purifiers to use UV-C light to inactivate airborne pathogens and microorganisms. Such as mould, bacteria and viruses. Manufacturers currently sell UV-C purifiers as stand-alone, freestanding devices or install them into pre-existing residential or commercial HVAC units. As the system forces air through the device, the air passes UV lamps. This attempts to disinfect it directly through germicidal irradiation.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.

Public Health England published the following information in a very recent update regarding transmission:

“SARS-CoV-2″ is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory (droplet and aerosol) and contact routes. Transmission risk is highest where people are in close proximity (within 2 metres). Procedures or support treatments that generate aerosols can cause airborne transmission in health care settings. Airborne transmission may also occur in poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Particularly if individuals are in the same room together for an extended period of time. At the moment, human-to-human transmission is occurring extensively. Hence, people should take precautions to prevent human-to-human transmission for both suspected and confirmed cases.” (See infection prevention and control guidance).

Q. What is happening now? A. Still not enough. We must educate and take action!

A lot of evidence points towards Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), or the lack of good IAQ, which is just as culpable if not more so, as frequent touch points for the spread of COVID-19.

How many times have you sat somewhere you’re supposed to wear a mask and pulled it down to get some air? How safe do people feel going back to the office? As we all know many measures are already in place for social distancing, face masks and frequent touch points. Is this enough?

How many times have you gone to the shop without your mask? I know I have and would imagine the majority of people answering would also be a yes!

But what have you read about regarding the air we breathe within the office, coffee shop or restaurant?

Touch Points or IAQ?

A recent report found that a lady with Coronavirus entered a Starbucks coffee shop in South Korea. She ordered her coffee and sat in the shop under a switched-on air-conditioning cassette unit. This proceeded to pick up the virus and spread it around the rest of the coffee shop. It infected 56 other people who were inside the shop and not wearing masks.

This story is looking at the benefits of wearing a mask and is absolutely correct. However there are some places where this is just not practical. They can be uncomfortable and restricting to wear, meaning people will remove them to “take a breather”.

What technology is out there for improving IAQ?

There are a few different ways of improving IAQ within the building space, they are as follows;

Option 1. Regular maintenance with Bryair and UVC treatment within HVAC systems.

Option 2. Regular maintenance with Bryair and installation of HEPA filters within HVAC systems.

Option 3. Regular maintenance with Bryair and installation of Bipolar Ionisation technology.

CIBSE AND HVAC Systems

The below is taken from CIBSE webpage entitled “Coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, COVID-19 and HVAC Systems.”

“Where cleaning or planned maintenance of ventilation systems is required, such as in catering premises, it should be undertaken in line with agreed industry guidance, including that relating to site operations under social distancing requirements. Appropriate PPE should be worn and all materials, including old filters, should be carefully bagged, and disposed of safely. Given the requirement for many business premises to close for the immediate future, there is unlikely to be a requirement to undertake work on their ventilation of air conditioning systems at this time.”

“In poorly ventilated spaces with a high occupancy and where it is difficult to increase ventilation rates it may be appropriate to consider using air cleaning and disinfection devices. The most appropriate devices are likely to be local HEPA filtration units or those that use germicidal UV (GUV) radiation. GUV devices use radiation in the UV-C spectrum, and researchers have shown that they inactivate coronaviruses.”

What about Air Quality Monitoring?

Another side of IAQ that we have recently looked at is, monitoring the air we breathe.

Researchers have shown that air quality and COVID-19, together with other viruses, are very closely linked. Some air quality monitors can use the data within the office to help create conditions inside buildings that helps to deactivate viruses and to enhance our immune system.

We provide this information in a user-friendly software package that details accurate, real-time data, which you can feed into your building’s BMS system to help you maintain good-quality air.

With many different parameters measured and recorded this gives you the insight to be able to make changes to the setting within the BMS. We closely monitor data such as temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and we set alarms at user-defined levels. These settings and information allow you to set up your building for the best conditions to fight the spread of viruses.

Conclusion

The news and evidence clearly show that this virus is not going away anytime soon and news updates state that the government is very close to agreeing on a two-week lockdown.

We need to improve IAQ in all buildings by introducing more fresh air where possible and by ensuring that HVAC experts regularly maintain HVAC systems. Monitoring the air inside and using germicidal cleaning technology which provides the user with not only good quality air but energy savings. Improving air quality also delivers health benefits, such as increased productivity because fewer germs and viruses spread around the office, which reduce staff sickness.

If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please contact us.