We are living in the world of modern technology. Most of the things we need to do technology helps us with. For example,  we can shop on-line and order delivery of the purchased goods home while sitting on a sofa in our living room.  We can arrive at the cinema only five minutes before the film show with an e-ticket in our smartphone. Or we can discuss the current problems on the way to work.  
Technological advancement allows us to save lots of time, which seems to bring benefits only. Is that really so? Unfortunately not. The very same technology is generating phenomena which have a destructive effect upon us. To understand how it works, let’s focus on environment pollution.

 

Actually, not only pavements are littered. People who eat poor quality food and breath in dangerous compounds which are present in the air put their organisms at risk. The necessity to protect the respiratory system from the polluted air has become one of the most serious contemporary challenges.  However, the air cleaning process itself is going to take plenty of time. That’s why, we should think now what we can do to limit our exposure to harmful gasses and dust. After all, we are what we breathe…

There are hazards inside buildings too

A lot has been said about air pollution in the streets, especially in city centres. That may create the false impression that we are completely safe in our offices and the air pollution outside doesn’t really concern us. But we need to remember that the air manages to get into the building even through very tiny holes, and so does dust – everywhere around us. In closed areas where office equipment is used and carbon dioxide gets accumulated we could be exposed to some serious health threats. Just think how much time each day we spend sitting at our office desks. It’s worth bearing in mind  that high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air can significantly lower our attention span.

As a consequence, opening up the office space seems to be a reasonable solution. Modern offices, designed as open-plan offices, improve the weak airflow. But foremost, (having in mind the economical aspect) in case of bigger spaces it really pays off to install advanced ventilation and air conditioning systems as they will effectively protect workers from pollution.

It must be an open-plan office then

We aren’t very much fond of open space. We perceive it as being impersonal and we associate open space with noise and to us it’s the place where we aren’t able to collect our thoughts and stay focused.

However, modern office solutions – and Balma PLUS system can serve as the best example and a solid piece of evidence –  can skilfully tame medium-sized and large offices. The old and so far unfriendly open office space has been replaced with the present open-plan offices which are of the same size as their old counterparts, but which are much more flexible than the old ones and which can be easily adjusted to the continually changing needs of the users.

Large offices have become attractive and workers enjoy working in them. In those large offices there are most advanced air cleaning systems – so, the health benefit of open-plan office is undisputable.  
When discussing the quality of air it’s important to focus on contemporary materials which are used to manufacture office furniture. Groups of experts make sure these materials are friendly to allergy sufferers and easy to maintain. It’s possible thanks to furniture designers and manufacturers whose performance shows they can meet the highest standards and expectations.

Technological challenges

On the market you can find some devices that will measure the level of CO₂  in offices and there are also some special clean air technologies already available. If we think about introducing similar solutions, we need to remember that air cleaner filters have to be regularly cleaned, because otherwise all our actions will turn futile. We also need to make sure that such devices are properly installed in the office space. We shouldn’t rely on our own creativity while deciding where to install the devices; it’s better to seek professional advice instead.

How can we benefit from the improved air quality in the office?    

Taking small steps is the key to achieving the ultimate success. Gradually, we will observe some visible changes in our body.
Better air equals better mood and better shape. Less pollution equals fewer cases of sudden attention span loss and fewer uncontrollable moments of sleep in a workplace. Additionally, by breathing deeply, we steadily relieve stress.

The way we function depends to a large extent on the quality of the air. Let’s remember about that, let’s share our ideas and let’s try to make the technology around us join in to fight pollution.
And above all – remember to take a break from time to time!