Tag: ventilation

First Minister’s Omicron update: Reasons to be Cheerful?

  • Large outdoor events resume from 17 January
  • Measures covering indoor events and hospitality to be reviewed in one week

Large outdoor events can resume without physical distancing or capacity limits from 00:01 on Monday 17 January, following a review of all measures in place to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

To support the lifting of capacity limits on outdoor events, COVID certification will remain for these where more than 4,000 standing or 10,000 seated are in attendance, and all other events and venues previously covered. Organisers of all events with more than 1,000 attendees will be expected to check a minimum of 50% of attendees for certification of vaccination, exemption, or negative test.

From Monday, a person will need to show they have had a booster to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’ if their last vaccine dose was more than four months ago. The NHS Scotland COVID Status app will be updated from this Thursday and will include booster jags on the QR code for domestic settings. Updated paper and PDF certificates are already available on request from the NHS Inform website or helpline.

Cabinet will next review the state of the epidemic on Tuesday 18 January and consider whether it may be possible to lift capacity caps on indoor live events, including theatre performances and concerts, from 24 January, by which time the impact of the return to schools and workplaces following the festive period should start to show. Cabinet will also consider whether COVID certification should be required in a broader range of settings.

Local authorities will receive up to £5 million of additional support to ensure ventilation in schools and early years settings meets the latest COVID-19 safety guidance.

The funding is to improve air flow, such as adjustments to windows and doors, use of fan systems and use of air cleaning devices in line with existing safety guidance. This is in addition to Scottish Government funding of £10 million provided local authorities for ventilation and CO2 monitoring last year.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We remain in a highly challenging phase of the pandemic. Case numbers are high, and the impacts of that are severe, and the future trajectory does remain uncertain at this stage.

“But, because of the efforts we have all made, we are in a better position than I feared would be the case when additional measures were announced in December, and I do hope we are now seeing signs of improvement.

“That is allowing us to start the process from Monday of lifting the additional restrictions – and I hope that next week I will be able to confirm the further steps in that process.

“In the meantime, we can all continue to act in a way that keeps things moving in the right direction. Get fully vaccinated as soon as you can – if you haven’t done so already, please do that and do it this week. Try to limit your contacts for a further period, and prioritise the contacts that matter most to you.

“If you are meeting other people socially, test before you go, every time, as close as possible to the time you will be seeing other people and remember to record the result whether that is positive or negative, and take all the other precautions that make a difference.

“‘Living with the virus’, a phrase that we hear more and more right now, is what we all desperately want to do. Unfortunately it doesn’t mean waking up one morning soon and find that COVID has disappeared or that we no longer need to think at all about mitigating the harm it can do.

“Hopefully, we are on a path from COVID being an epidemic to it becoming endemic – in other words, existing at more manageable and consistent levels.

“These are important issues for not just government, but for all of us – so as we prepare the revised strategic framework in weeks to come, we will consult with Parliament, business organisations and other partners across society.

“Our aim is to publish the revised strategic framework within the next few weeks.”

Scottish Rugby responded:

It’s disappointing news for the arts, however:

IMPORTANT CUSTOMER UPDATE from EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE

Following the Scottish Government announcement on Tuesday 11 January, in which it was confirmed that indoor seated events continue to be limited to 200, we regret to announce that the following performances scheduled to play at the Edinburgh Playhouse have been postponed:

Waitress: 18th January – 22nd January

If you have tickets to these performances, you do not need to do anything at this time. You will be contacted from your point of purchase in the next few days with next steps.

Performances from 25th January onwards are still scheduled to go ahead as planned and any changes to this will be communicated as soon as possible if restrictions should be extended by the Scottish Government.

We thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this difficult time.

Scottish Fans Ask for a 3 Day Shift

“3 days will Make a Huge Difference”

The Scottish Football Supporters Association thank the First Minister and welcome the news that the cabinet have green lighted a return of fans above the short term limit of 500 imposed on 26th December.

Next week’s Scottish Premier League card can now take place in front of full houses starting with Celtic vs Hibs on Monday 17th and it means the early winter breakdown decision by our top 12 clubs has been commercially justified.

But as it stands the clubs below the Premier League and their fans face another weekend with restricted crowds.

The SFSA are aware that there is no strict science stipulating the 17th as the key restart date and ask that the First Minister, the Sports Minister and Cabinet revisit the decision urgently on behalf of all Scotland’s smaller clubs and their fans.

We ask that the date is brought forward to 14th of January instead of the 17th.

This will allow Ayr United, Dunfermline Athletic, Caledonian Thistle, Raith Rovers, Airdrie, Dumbarton and many other smaller clubs to allow their full fan communities back on Saturday. It will also allow for the top of the table clash in the Championship between Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock to have fans in attendance.

This simple change will bring financial benefits to clubs and communities and is we have been advised low risk.

Andy Smith, Chairman of the SFSA said: “A reprieve will make a huge financial difference to many of our smaller clubs and allow all their fans back and a normal Saturday in many communities.

“Too often Scottish Football overlooks the smaller clubs and their supporters when making big decisions. This is a chance to make a statement that football in Scotland is more than just the Premier League”.

Covid: Ventilation at work

Workplace advice from the TUC

We know that Covid is an airborne virus, meaning it is primarily spread through the air in tiny particles, known as aerosols. Aerosols are different to droplets, which are larger and can be spread from touching surfaces; they are breathed out by a person. That means anyone can spread them, unknowingly: you don’t need to be coughing or sneezing.

Aerosols are small, they can remain suspended in the air for hours. So if you’ve entered a room where someone who is infectious but not showing symptoms has been, even if they have already left, you might still breathe in a Covid-19 aerosol.  

 A combination of concentration, airflow, humidity and temperature, all contribute to whether the aerosol load will be infectious.  

This means ventilation, where we make sure the air is renewed and refreshed regularly, is an incredibly important method for reducing Covid transmission. 

Every workplace risk assessment should include aerosol transmission, and outline what steps are being taken to improve ventilation where necessary. 

Despite ventilation being one of the most effective ways to mitigate risk, union safety reps have told the TUC that it’s the one employers are least likely to be paying attention to. In some cases, we need to force ventilation onto the agenda through union education and action. 

CO2 monitors 
 
More employers are purchasing CO2 monitors, and some unions are making use of them to carry out safety inspections. These devices monitor how much CO2, which is breathed out by people, is in the air in a given space. The higher the level of CO2 is, the more poorly a space is ventilated. A CO2 monitor can’t tell you if you’re breathing in Covid, but it will tell you if you’re breathing in other peoples’ breath. The higher the reading, the more likely exposure will be. 

A key threshold to be aware of is 800 parts per million (ppm): if a CO2 monitor is consistently showing a room as reading above 800ppm, action must be taken to improve ventilation, or the area should be taken out of use.  

When using CO2 monitors, remember to:

  • Take the reading in the most poorly ventilated area of the room, for example do not take the reading next to an open window.  
  • Make a plan to consistently monitor, to improve accuracy and give a better picture for how the air quality is changing: taking readings throughout the day, or week, or adjusting frequency depending on how the space is being used.  

You can find more information on using CO2 monitors from the Health and Safety Executive. 

Improving ventilation

Your CO2 monitor doesn’t improve ventilation, it only gives you an accurate picture of whether you need to make improvements, and by how much. Further action that may need to  be taken can include: reducing the occupancy in a given indoor space, opening windows and doors, and using equipment which can be purchased, such as local air filtration units. 

Ventilation and air conditioning systems can help, but only those which do not recirculate air: any systems which recirculate air around a room or building must be switched off, as these risk spreading aerosols further, rather than filtering them with fresh air supply. Similarly, it’s worth noting that a desk fan which you might have on during hot weather is going to blow air from one part of a room to another: while it might keep you cool, it risks aiding aerosol spread. 

Windows 

The easiest way to boost the fresh air supply in an indoor space is to keep windows or doors open. 

In some workplaces, opening a window will not be an option. With outside air comes other risks: cold temperatures, pollution, or contamination. In some cases, opening windows is simply not an option, for example in a maternity ward, a food factory, or where there are none. This is not a get-out for employers: they must be taking every effort to provide effective ventilation by other means. 

Air filtering units 

Where existing methods to improve ventilation are not to a safe standard, employers should be purchasing and providing air cleaning and filtering units. These are relatively cheap and highly effective in removing airborne virus from indoor room air.   

There are minimum specifications, including the requirement for HEPA (high efficiency particulate absorbing) filters, which remove up to 99% of aerosols. The number of filters required will depend on the size of a workspace. Six ACH (air changes per hour) is considered a safe level of ventilation, and can be achieved by a combination of methods. It is important to bear in mind, CO2 monitoring where air filters are being used will not give an accurate reading of air quality: this is because filtering units will remove virus aerosols, but not CO2 from the air.

Face coverings and face masks 

Wearing a face covering will reduce, but cannot eliminate, your risk of infection. 

This means mitigations such as mask-wearing (in particular, respirator masks at a FFP2 or FFP3 standard, which are effective for aerosol as well as droplet spread) are all the more important; along with effective ventilation. Keeping a good supply of fresh in indoor spaces can make a big difference in diffusing any potential Covid aerosols. Face masks are not a replacement for good ventilation: where possible, both are preferable.

Actions unions are taking include: 

  • Adopting a union position and demands to the employer, based on the situation in your workplace and the steps required to bring ventilation to a safe level.  
  • Safety reps carrying out inspections of indoor workspaces using CO2 monitors. 
  • Issuing a union improvement notice, or emergency advice including removing oneself from the hazardous environment if serious risk presents.  
  • Utilising union representation on any safety committees to raise the issue, and consultation in risk assessment process. 
  • Holding union member-wide meetings on the subject of ventilation, explaining the problem to members, and deciding on next steps including collective action to force changes to keep workers safe, and escalating matters through formal dispute procedures. 

See further resources:  

With thanks to Doctor Jonathan Fluxman for information for this blog. See https://www.docjon.org/  

Tackling coronavirus in Scotland: £25 million to improve ventilation

Business premises will be able to access a £25 million package to improve ventilation and reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission.

Grants will target a wide range of high risk settings where people come into close proximity, including restaurants, bars and gyms, with support available to help companies undertake work such as the installation of carbon dioxide monitors and altering windows and vents.

An expert advice group, chaired by Professor Tim Sharpe from the University of Strathclyde, unanimously recommended that businesses should be supported to improve ventilation. The Group was established in August to advise how enhanced ventilation can help reduce transmission of the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “As we step away from other mitigations, improved ventilation will play a significant role in reducing transmission indoors, support the sustained opening of society and contribute to our wider Covid recovery.

“Many of the businesses we are targeting have been closed for long periods and it is right that they are helped to undertake this work. We are allocating up to £25 million to assist small and medium-sized enterprises and expect to begin making payments in November.

“The package will initially target higher risk sectors where people spend significant amounts of time in close proximity to each other, such as hospitality and leisure, and will make indoor settings safer, especially through the winter months.”

Further details of the grants, including eligibility and timing, will be published on findbusinesssupport.gov.scot in due course.

Two-thirds of Scots worried they will catch COVID at work

Two-thirds of Scottish employees (66 per cent) are worried about contracting Coronavirus when they return to their place of work, a new survey has found. 

The findings follow a UK-wide survey, carried out by JD Cooling Group, the UK’s leading independent supplier of environmental control systems with offices in Kelty, which revealed that despite the extensive vaccine roll out, many people across Scotland and the rest of the UK remain cautious about the prospect of a return to the office.

Lack of space and ventilation

Almost half (47 per cent) of all respondents cited the possibility of catching Coronavirus through airborne transmission indoors as their biggest concern, followed by 40 per cent who said poor air quality is a worry for them about returning to their workplace.

Two in five said they are concerned their co-workers might not be vigilant enough with handwashing, while 37 per cent of people admitted to being concerned about others not wearing masks. Lack of space is also an issue, with 35 per cent concerned about meetings in smaller rooms with limited ventilation, and a third (33 per cent) concerned about social distancing not being possible.

Providing reassurance

Despite these worries, there are a number of solutions that would help reassure employees about returning to work, with three in five (62 per cent) saying they would like a ventilation system installed to improve air quality, circulation and flow.

Social distancing measures being in place and enforced would reassure two in five (42 per cent), while a third (33 per cent) would be reassured by regular cleaning of surfaces. Two in five (39 per cent) would be reassured if the majority of the company had been given a coronavirus vaccine – slightly higher than the 32 per cent who would be reassured if they had been given the coronavirus vaccine themselves.

Changes to the workplace would also help to provide reassurance, as three in ten (31 per cent) support changes to allow them to have their own office or workspace, 26 per cent supporting Perspex screens being added to their workspace, and a fifth (18 per cent) feeling reassured if gloves and PPE was provided.

Mike Gould, HVAC Manager at JD Cooling Group said: “This data clearly shows that while there are measures in place, such as face masks and social distancing, people remain concerned when it comes to the next stage of restrictions lifting, and it won’t be enough to simply open doors and windows to encourage better air flow.

“Even with the vaccine roll out, proper ventilation is coming out as the top way to help employees feel comfortable about returning to the office.

“Good ventilation can rid a workplace of contaminated and stale air. As people are still clearly concerned about catching the virus at work, it’s important that employers do what they can in order to protect, reassure and ultimately keep their workforce safe.”

The study also found a significant minority (42 per cent) said that they would be likely to consider looking for another job if their employer did not put in adequate measures to minimise the spread of Coronavirus before they returned to their normal workplace. This highlights the importance of employers taking steps to protect their workforce.

Beyond this, the pandemic will undoubtedly have far-reaching long-term impacts on workers’ attitudes, as a third (35 per cent) say that they will be more concerned about catching common colds and flu viruses at work than they were before the pandemic, even after the vaccination programme has been fully rolled out.

For more information, tips and advice on good ventilation go to www.jdcooling.com/covid-safe