Ventilation and air conditioning: what's the difference and how does it relate to health?

03-03-21

Ventilation and air conditioning provide welcome and necessary cooling for your employees during warm weather. But what is the difference between the two? And how (un)healthy are these systems for your employees?

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) – are techniques that  provide ambient comfort in homes, offices and other indoor spaces. Although ventilation and air conditioning both provide cooling, they also differ to a certain extent.

Ventilation: crucial for a healthy workplace

Ventilation ensures there is a permanent exchange of air in indoor spaces. This is important because it creates a pleasant indoor temperature, but most of all: it keeps the air healthy. A ventilation system continuously replaces 'old' air with fresh air from outside, so that germs and other pollutants such as CO2 or other bio-effluents are removed from the ambient air.

Some focus points to bear in mind regarding work environment ventilation:

  • Did many people gather in one small space, such as a meeting room? Then ventilate the room afterwards: open as many windows and doors as possible for about 10 or 15 minutes. This should also be done regularly in other rooms and spaces.
  • Chinks and air vents are a good start, but a mechanical ventilation system is the best way to ensure permanent air renewal.
  • Ventilation is just as important in winter as it is in summer. After all, viruses reign supreme during winter months.

Air conditioning: refreshing, but is it healthy?

Air conditioning controls the ambient climate in the workspace. An air conditioning system is the best way to achieve this: in addition to maintaining a pleasant temperature, it also controls humidity. Most systems incorporate a filter that cleans the air in the room and redistributes it at the adjusted temperature. This method does not involve fresh air from outside. For this reason, extra ventilation is essential.

(Oscillating) fans are a cheaper alternative to air conditioning systems, but these are a lot less safe. After all, they distribute the ‘used’ air with filtering it first and help germs to spread. For this reason, fans are not recommended in spaces used or frequented by many different people. The same is true for mobile air conditioning units. If you do decide to use these units, please make sure the airflow is not aimed directly at people.