| The open plan office was hailed as a revolution in | | | | maintain a good quality of air. Fresh, cool air can assist |
| buildings where many office workers had previously | | | | with keeping the mind of the worker alert but if air duct |
| been segregated. They would, it was said, unite | | | | cleaning is not carried out on a regular basis, it can |
| workers socially and make work easier, allowing more | | | | actually be detrimental. |
| interaction and speedier results. | | | | Without fresh air the brain becomes stagnant and |
| It has often meant that offices could be constructed | | | | sluggish and it is very difficult to stay focused. It also |
| cheaply and quickly, keeping business flowing. Air | | | | stifles creativity and can lead to irritability - which is |
| conditioning was pumped in to keep the occupants | | | | never a good thing to have in an office where |
| cool and plants were installed to keep the air | | | | everybody is together. |
| oxygenated. | | | | There are companies that specialise in air duct cleaning |
| Well, it would seem from recent press reports that this | | | | and they are the best people to advise on the |
| is not so. Stress and raised blood pressure are | | | | frequency of cleaning. This may depend on how big |
| apparently prevalent in open plan offices due to the | | | | the office is, how often it is used and by how many |
| pressure of other colleagues being able to see and | | | | people at a time. It is a relatively straight forward task |
| hear every piece of work and every conversation that | | | | but essential and should not be over looked. |
| you carry out. The majority of those that work in open | | | | A clean office with clean air ducts is the best defence |
| plan offices have a negative view of it. | | | | you can have against the spread of germs between |
| On top of all this stress you have the added incidents | | | | colleagues. This then results to less time lost in sick |
| of flu and other germs being transmitted so easily | | | | days and less money spent on sick pay. This can only |
| between colleagues. All it takes is one employee to | | | | be beneficial for businesses so that initial outlay of air |
| sneeze without covering his nose or mouth and you | | | | duct cleaning will be returned very quickly. |
| have germs travelling at speeds of up to 100 mph and | | | | There are so many of these open plan offices |
| reaching everybody in that office. | | | | constructed these days that, even with the news that |
| The plants won't help with this but there is air | | | | they are not the best thing for you, many companies |
| conditioning. However, if not cleaned properly these | | | | will need to continue with the way things are. However, |
| units can actually harbour and spread germs even | | | | they can help themselves by not cramming colleagues |
| further. Air duct cleaning is essential in large offices. It | | | | too closely together. Even at work nobody likes their |
| stops build ups of particles that encourage bacterial | | | | personal space invaded. |
| growth. | | | | Partitions can be erected that, while shielding little noise, |
| To be honest, you simply couldn't have an open plan | | | | do allow workers a modicum of privacy and gives |
| office without air conditioning. With all those bodies in | | | | them the option of inviting a conversation with another |
| one place is would get to unbearably hot to be able to | | | | worker or politely refusing it when they are busy. |
| continue to work. Air duct cleaning is important to | | | | |