Monitoring Indoor Air Quality in the Hospitality Industry | Air-Met Scientific
COVID-19 and the Hospitality Industry
The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across every industry in Australia with the hospitality industry being one of the most significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a large casual workforce, seasonal peaks, and reliance on regular deliveries, the hospitality industry was affected in more ways than most.
Outdoor air pollution has always been a concern for hospitality venues as good air quality correlates to superior comfort and better health and well-being of the customers and staff. However, in recent times, indoor air quality has also become a topic of conversation. With the rise in COVID-19 transmissions, bushfires and other respiratory pollutants, restaurant managers and hospitality venue owners have started questioning how they can provide good indoor air at their hospitality venues to better protect the health, safety and comfort of their customers and staff.
COVID-19 is an airborne virus known to be transmissible through the air. Only 0.1 microns in size, the SARS-COV-2 virus can travel great distances and can be suspended in the air for a long time. This means that even if an infected person has left the room, the virus can remain suspended in the air and as a result, be passed on to others. Masks, social distancing, vaccination certifications and digital check-ins at venues are sensible measures for reducing the transmission of COVID-19, however, these measures are only effective if venue operators continue to hold patrons accountable. This is made even more challenging during seasonal peaks and busy periods, where businesses find it increasingly hard to ensure these safety measures are being followed. As most states and territories in Australia return to a COVID-19 normal, the safety measures that once protected the community from COVID-19 transmission have also been made inessential by the government, resulting in most hospitality venues stopping most safety measures requirements. But the threat of COVID-19 is still prevalent so how can we manage and monitor the risk of COVID-19 in hospitality venues, keep businesses open, customers satisfied and avoid staff shortages when the requirement for safety measures has been made discretionary?
COVID-19 is transmitted by a mixture of airborne particles and droplets – referred to as aerosols. Indoor air, unlike outdoor air, is continually recycled and therefore allows pollutants to build up and become trapped in confined spaces. Like all other airborne viruses, there is a higher risk of transmission in indoor spaces due to the lack of fresh air available to dilute the virus particles.
What Impacts Indoor Air Quality In Hospitality Venues?
Good Indoor air quality is pertinent to the comfort and health and safety of guests in hospitality venues. Indoor air can sometimes be five times as polluted as outdoor air with cooking fumes, aerosol deodorants, burning candles etc. Some factors that affect indoor air quality include:
Availability of Natural Ventilation in Hospitality Venues - Natural ventilation is essential in diluting indoor air pollutants with fresh outdoor air. Increasing natural ventilation will prevent the built-up of “stale air” in the room which causes customers to feel ‘stuffy’.
Volume & Size of the Venue - Ventilation or the fresh air exchange rate is relative to the volume of the space. Assuming all other factors remain constant, larger function rooms will have a greater concentration of fresh air per cubic meter than smaller rooms, therefore providing better dilution of virus particles and also improving the quality of air. Additionally, larger venues allow for greater social distancing between patrons.
Occupancy - Carbon dioxide is a by-product of when we exhale. Increased occupancy correlates with increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in a room. If the air exhaled (by the room’s occupants) exceeds the room’s ventilation capability and there is no air dilution occurring, the concentration of CO2 will build up leading to an increased risk and potential for virus transmission.
Activities - Higher intensity activities result in a greater concentration of carbon dioxide exhaled and vice versa. For example, an indoor wedding venue where patrons are dancing and singing will result in a greater concentration of CO2 exhaled than patrons sitting at a café talking.
Inadequate mechanical Ventilation - HVAC systems that are properly maintained are a great solution for providing effective ventilation. Using HVAC systems that have not been regularly serviced can adversely affect indoor air instead of better.
Benefits of Monitoring Indoor Air Quality in Hospitality Venues
The benefits of monitoring indoor air quality go beyond the short-term benefits of managing the potential for COVID-19 virus transmission. Indoor air can be monitored by CO2 monitors like the ERS CO2 Monitor or the IAQ Max Desktop CO2 Monitor. These devices can provide continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide and measure other parameters important to indoor comfort and customer experiences such as temperature, humidity and light.
By monitoring indoor air quality, hospitality venue owners and managers can:
Improve Guest Experience - As a result of the increase in awareness of the importance of IAQ, customers want to be reassured that businesses are proactively taking measures to ensure safe indoor air quality, minimising the risk of contracting respiratory illnesses and improving comfort levels for their patrons. Monitoring IAQ can increase customer confidence in businesses.
Increase operational efficiency - With continuous indoor air quality monitoring, hospitality venues can benefit from decreased operational costs related to staff absenteeism, fewer disruptions in the business due to illness-related staffing issues and energy savings by identifying rooms that require more mechanical and natural ventilation instead of having devices such as HVAC Systems and purifiers constantly running.
Higher Staff productivity - Happier staff equals happier customers. With a greater circulation of healthy air, hospitality staff are happier, more comfortable, experience an increase in concentration, and are drowsy due to stale air. With optimal working conditions, staff productivity can increase therefore ensuring customer needs are met.
How to Monitor Indoor Air Quality at Hospitality Venues
The ERS CO2 Monitor and the IAQ Desktop CO2 Monitors are both great choices to provide continuous monitoring of indoor air quality at restaurants, cafes, hotels and other hospitality venues.
The ERS CO2 Monitor is a discreet wall-mounted smart wireless air quality monitor which provides real-time data on the quality of air. This device provides venues with the ability to create a wireless network of sensors by placing a sensor in each room that requires IAQ monitoring. It utilises the LoraWan networking protocol which helps it transmit data over large distances with low data consumption.
Air quality data can be viewed for multiple rooms at a time with an easy-to-use interface available on desktop and mobile. This solution is more suitable for hospitality venues with multiple rooms to monitor. With real-time data visibility on each room. Our engineers can also integrate the LiveSense online data portal to your website or TV screens such as on screens at the hotel to reassure guests that their health and safety are proactively being looked after.
The Desktop IAQ Max CO2 Monitor is a standalone wireless handheld air quality monitor. With the IAQ Max, all indoor air quality metrics such as temperature, humidity and barometric pressure can be viewed at a glance on its large sleek LCD screen. It has a data logging capacity that can show CO2 levels over the last one hour and the free software can be downloaded to view a full data log. This solution is ideal for small restaurants and cafes which have only one or two spaces to monitor.
