35 million Americans experience seasonal allergies, costing U.S. companies over $7 billion every year in lost productivity. Every fall, weeds bloom, mold develops, and pollen spreads. Not only do allergies cost your business time in terms of productivity, they can also lead to unhappy employees, and employees who are more likely to fall ill in other ways. If you don't want your employees missing work and being distracted, you need to maintain a clean, allergy-free office.
What Are Your Employees Allergic To?
What happens every fall that sets off allergies? Seasonally, it has to do with blooming weeds and pollen in the air—but there are some business-related issues as well. Dust mites, harsh cleaning solutions, and manufacturing chemicals can all cause employees to have allergic reactions.
Allergic reactions often work with a "tipping point." An employee could be exposed to pollen and dust but only begin to have an allergic reaction when they are also exposed to cleaning chemicals. This is because an allergy is really a body's immune response attempting to defeat a foreign invader. Once the immune system mobilizes, the allergic reaction begins and can be difficult to keep under control.
This "tipping point" response means that in order to mitigate allergies, you need to reduce allergens of all types, much like a business must manage its risk even if it cannot remove it altogether.
Keeping Your Offices Allergy-Friendly
There's little that you can do for the outdoor world, but you can make your offices more allergy-friendly. Consider making the following changes:
Make sure areas are well-ventilated and cleaned regularly
Day-to-day, ventilation and cleanliness are extremely important. Regularly dusting and vacuuming and airing out the space will be critical to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Air quality can be many times more dangerous than the air outdoors, even when allergens are present. This is because allergens tend to build up inside of enclosed spaces.
Follow safety regulations
If face masks are required to perform a task, all employees must wear them. If some employees are more sensitive to things like dust than others, a face mask may help them avoid an allergic reaction.
Inspect the building for mold and dust
Over time, mold and dust are going to appear in any building. Regardless of how clean the building is, these are natural aspects to any environment. You do, however, need to keep it under control. Regularly inspect your company's buildings to identify areas of mold growth or built-up dust. These can be managed by a cleaning company.
Schedule professional cleaning for carpeting and upholstery
Carpets and fabrics get dirty. Even if they aren't visibly stained, they are likely to be harboring a significant amount of dirt and dust. Professional extraction cleaning will remove deep-down dirt in carpets and upholstery, so employees won't react to being around or in contact with them.
Install purifiers to help clear the air
If you're in any type of manufacturing, it's likely that you really can't prevent dust and chemicals from getting in the air. But you can prevent it from staying there. High-grade commercial air purifiers will protect your employees by continually filtering the air. Your employees will be protected not only from internal allergens, but also external allergens—like pollen—that make their way into the building.
Be mindful of potential food or contact allergies
Gloves are a must for any business that works in food preparation or works with known allergens. Educate your employees on how to best deal with common allergens and ensure that employees know how to react if someone has a serious allergic reaction.
Use environmentally-friendly cleaning chemicals
Cleaning chemicals without VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will be more environmentally friendly and healthier. Natural, environmentally-friendly chemicals are less likely to cause some form of allergic or adverse reaction in employees.
Offer allergy testing to your employees
The most dangerous type of allergic reaction is an allergic reaction that someone doesn't know about beforehand. Allergy testing can prevent any distressing surprises, as well as make it easier for your employees to avoid things that are likely to trigger negative symptoms.
Additionally, if you feel as though the quality of your air may not be good enough, you can invest in an air quality test. An air quality test will tell you if there is an unusual number of allergens in your office air and whether there are specific issues—such as mold spores—that you should be aware of.
In the meantime, it's best to be mindful of employee allergies and to concentrate on keeping your offices clean and dust-free. By investing in regular cleaning services and the right cleaning technology, you should be well on your way to improved productivity and reduced time off.
