There is much debate about what or who is the main source of potential indoor pollution. So, some believe that the cause is in microorganisms, bacteria, while others are in the people themselves. In this article, we will talk about a proven way to reduce the number of cases of infection of people - the creation of a system for maintaining the sanitary condition of the room.
Health & Safety
People work most productively when they are in a comfortable microclimate. The sanitary condition of the living room can have a positive or negative effect on the general state of comfort. For a better understanding of this, you need to know that climate is predetermined by three main components: air temperature, its humidity and movement.
Each of these components must be carefully regulated in accordance with the conditions of residence or work. By maintaining a comfortable climate, you can improve living conditions or employee productivity.
The rules for labor protection, safety measures and social security, which entered into force in 1993, establish minimum standards for jobs.
These rules apply to most types of jobs, transportation, construction sites and domestic premises. Jobs should be suitable for everyone who works for them, including employees with any degree of disability.
Everyone has the right to a safe and comfortable workplace suitable for all who work or visit him. This means that the employer must consider issues such as space, cleanliness, lighting and ventilation, as well as the availability of a proper toilet, washbasin and locker room. Dangers at the workplace are not always obvious, but special attention needs to be paid to topics related to areas such as sanitation, emergency lighting, clean floors, security of routes, windows and doors.
The work environment and conditions that seem harmless, but are actually full of bacteria, can ultimately lead to serious illnesses in people indoors.
Employer Responsibilities
Employers and supervisory authorities of the premises have a common responsibility for ensuring the sanitary and hygienic condition of the premises. We list the areas of control.
- Maintenance: the workplace, equipment, devices and systems are in good working order.
- Ventilation: the working area is ventilated and has a sufficient amount of fresh and purified air.
- Temperature: During working hours inside the building, the optimum temperature must be maintained.
- Lighting: it must be natural. The employer must provide artificial light sources. Emergency lighting should be provided where a malfunction can cause a danger to life.
- Cleanliness: the order allows you to keep workplaces and furniture clean. Waste should be collected in containers.
- Space: workrooms should have sufficient area, height and free space.
- Floors: they should not endanger the safety of movement. There should be no obstacles that could lead to a fall. Handrails must be provided on the stairs, unless they interfere with movement.
- Windows: they must be made of quality material and be safe to open.
- Doors and gates: must be properly designed and meet specific specifications.
- Escalators: they must work safely, be equipped with the necessary protective devices and easily identifiable controls of the emergency installation.
- Toilets: they should be suitable for their comfortable visit.
- Water: employees should be provided with sufficient drinking water.
- Clothing: there should be a comfortable room for her, as well as dressing rooms, where you can wear a special uniform.
- Lounge: comfortable conditions should be provided for eating, for relaxing pregnant women, for smokers.
The main characteristic
The condition and sanitary maintenance of the room are associated with the norms of temperature, humidity, lighting. Thanks to them, proper public health and working conditions are ensured. The sanitation system aims to protect people's health by providing a clean environment that will stop the transmission of disease.
Levels and Approaches
There are a number of technologies and approaches to assessing the sanitary condition of production facilities. Depending on the type of premises and requirements, general, ecological, emergency sanitation and environmental improvement are distinguished. The sanitation system includes the collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of contaminants and harmful substances.
Within and between countries, statistics are kept in this area. Sanitation levels are calculated, then they are compared with similar values of this indicator of other objects.
International Organizations and Standards
The human right to the sanitary condition of the premises was recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2010. Sanitation is a global development priority for countries. According to JMP estimates, currently 4.5 billion people do not have safe sanitation. Lack of access to sanitation affects not only public health, but also human dignity and personal security.
Sanitation data are compiled from national censuses and representative household surveys by the Joint Monitoring Program of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Standards must be properly built and properly supported.
Cleaning and care
In the offices on a regular basis should be compiled acts of the sanitary condition of the premises, keep records indicating the specific areas being cleaned, the frequency and cleaning procedure, including equipment and materials. Equipment used in production is cleaned and sterilized with a certain frequency.
Means for washing and drying hands should be provided, including sinks with hot and cold water, separate toilets, changing rooms for staff. These units should be located appropriately; they should not be located directly in food processing or storage areas.
The number of toilets should be commensurate with the number of workers (men and women) in the institution, people must observe the cleanliness requirements when visiting these rooms.
Lounge and meal areas should be separated from food processing and service areas. They should not directly come into contact with food production and storage areas.
Signs that insist that employees may and may not, should be placed in a room in a prominent place in Russian and English so that everyone can understand the content of the rules.
Air quality and ventilation
According to the sanitary standards of the premises, mechanical ventilation systems, including air filters and exhaust fans, must be designed and manufactured in such a way that the air does not enter the cleaned areas.
Humidity indicators are least observed and monitored. In winter, it is recommended to maintain humidity above 30 percent, and in summer the range should be 40-60 percent. If the ventilation system allows you to control humidity, it is recommended to use it. Otherwise, you need to purchase a humidifier or dehumidifier, they will help maintain the comfort and productivity of employees.
Air traffic in the office is minimal. The recommended airflow rate for operator rooms is 0.25–0.5 m / s, which is equivalent to a light breeze. If workers are sitting opposite ventilation openings or open windows, they may notice that ventilation levels may be exceeded here. This can lead to illness for company employees who will be forced to take sick leave. It is recommended to equip the office so that the location of the ventilation openings is taken into account, and minimize their impact on the working environment.
During conditioning, room sealing is necessary. In the summer, it is recommended to resort to a mixed mode of conditioning: at night - open, and during the day - closed. In the first case, the climate technology works periodically, and in the second - continuously.
Noise
Typically, the noise level for a typical room is between 40 and 60 dB. There can be many of its sources in an organization: computer fans, copy machines, and people talking to each other. As a rule, a high noise level can lead to a loss of concentration and irritability, and a decrease in productivity. It has been proven that reducing background noise reduces the number of errors made in the work.
Maintaining a low level of background noise is also important for understanding the subject matter of colleagues talking or talking on the phone. Typically, a conversation is held at a volume level of 60 to 65 dB, these are undesirable values. To understand the interlocutor’s speech, it is recommended that the background noise be 10 dB lower than the above.
If speech is at 60 dB and extraneous sounds are at 40 dB, people usually understand only about 80 percent of speech. Using a separate room with minimal background noise will help improve speech perception. That is why important meetings are held in a separate room.
According to the sanitary condition of the living room, it is recommended that the background noise be within 48–55 dB, this reduces the number of errors associated with extraneous sounds. Sound absorbing partitions can help reduce the noise from conversations of colleagues in nearby rooms.
Lighting
As part of the requirements for the sanitary condition of the premises, natural or artificial lighting must be provided. Lighting devices should be placed in the places provided for this and be protected.
Optimal lighting is important for any indoor workspace. To reduce costs, it is common practice to use the minimum amount of lighting needed to complete any task. For office work, medium and high levels of lighting are provided, varying for the first case in the range from 1.5–2.5 meters and 500–700 centimeters for the second case. The minimum was chosen to ensure the best performance of the computer, the maximum - to reduce the likelihood of glare and maintain an optimal contrast ratio.
Temperature
The sanitary condition of the premises and equipment determines the optimal air temperature in each season. A range of 20–24 ° C indoors is generally preferred. Depending on the size of your office, you can experiment and determine what temperature most employees prefer.
Business challenge
Russian industry is experiencing a period of sustained boom, in which many investors are involved with great financial opportunities. It is believed that this will continue.
Some companies are modernizing existing plants and premises, while others are building completely new ones. Russian companies must undergo a sanitary inspection of the premises. A strict system has been introduced in the country, requiring a sanitary certificate as evidence of compliance with Russian standards. All premises in Russia must have a certificate of verification of compliance with sanitary standards.
What is the value of the certificate?
The presence of confirmation of the proper sanitary condition of the premises has a calming effect on distributors and customers. It says that the work takes into account the sanitary and epidemiological requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation. The presence of a certificate is of particular attractiveness to customers, thereby it can provide an advantage in sales of manufactured products.
How long is the certificate valid?
The validity of the certificate on the sanitary condition of the premises can vary up to 5 years. A more accurate period depends on the type of premises, production conditions and type of certification.