At the Infection Prevention & Control 2024 in Birmingham, we were surprised by the number of people that told us they worked in unventilated (often windowless) basement rooms / labs. These healthcare workers experienced uncomfortable temperatures and high absence rates.
We learned that there is a general ban on fans by the Hospital Estates team due to the risk of cross infection and any fans set up, must be decontaminated after use. In this short blog, we’ll explore how to help NHS healthcare workers in these conditions.
A portable air cleaner introduces airflow and will filter the air at the same time
The Blast and the Blast Mini are both powerful air cleaners with huge filtration capacity. Below is a quick summary on how this will help unventilated basement rooms:
Blast air cleaner
- AIRFLOW: Due to the size of the Blast, filtered air is spread out over the large outlet, so it can feel less draughty than smaller air cleaners even though it delivers substantially more filtered air. The airflow is around 970m³/hr on top speed with noise levels of 43dBA
- FILTER: It contains a large, deep-pleated, HEPA H13 filter which when opened, contains almost 15m² of filter media
- AIR CHANGES: It depends on the room size but in a 20m² room with an average ceiling height of 2.4m, it will deliver almost 20 air changes an hour on top speed
Blast Mini air cleaner
- AIRFLOW: A compact version of the Blast, the filtered air outlet is smaller so the draught can feel more intense making this perfect for those basement rooms that get really hot. The airflow is around 760m³/hr on top speed with noise levels of 49dBA
- FILTER: It contains a large, deep-pleated, HEPA H13 filter which when opened, contains 7m² of filter media
- AIR CHANGES: It depends on the room size but in a 20m² room with an average ceiling height of 2.4m, it will deliver 15.4 air changes an hour on top speed
Both air cleaners are metal (easy cleaning) and on wheels and meet NHS guidelines for portable air cleaners. The filters will last a year when run 24/7 and takes just 3 minutes to change with no tools required. Multiple units can be set up in larger rooms to balance out the airflow, email us on [email protected] if you need any help working out your requirements.
It is important to note that the more people in a room, the higher the CO² levels which can impact the occupant's wellbeing. Filtration delivers the ability to remove pathogens from the air but only ventilation can reduce CO² levels. This means that even with high CO² levels in unventilated basements, you can still achieve low infection rates because the HEPA filter removes bio-aerosols.
If you would like to see how this works, you can try before you buy with our rental scheme. Smart Air UK (trading name of Airbon Ltd) is listed in the MIA registry for NHS England, Wales and Scotland.
If your basement room has a window or vent grille, you may be interested in our optional ventilation duct which can bring in fresh 'filtered' air and can also deliver a negative pressure environment. The Blast Mini can be wall or ceiling mounted - click here to view options on how you can introduce fresh air into an unventilated space.
A portable air cleaner helps you balance comfort and infection control in basement rooms
Portable air cleaners help solve the problems in unventilated rooms but be sure to correctly size your requirements. Also be mindful of noise levels as any air cleaner is likely to be on constantly run on top speed in order to deliver the highest amounts of filtered air. Smart Air has always prioritised noise so our commercial units are amongst the quietest, high performing, air cleaners in its class.
- The comfort factor:
- Where windows or trickle vents are available, these should be opened.
- Use air cleaners with high airflow to introduce air movement
- If vents are available, look at our optional vent grills to introduce fresh air into the room
- The infection control challenge:
- Filtration, even in ventilated spaces, is essential for infection control. Where fresh air dilutes pathogens from the air, filtration will remove it
- Portable air cleaners can help meet and exceed NHS guidelines in terms of air changes an hour / fallow time
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Product on sale
Blast Mini Air PurifierPrice range: £462.00 through £552.00 -
Product on sale
Blast Commercial Air PurifierPrice range: £696.00 through £822.00
By combining HEPA filtration and ventilation strategies, portable air cleaners offer a powerful solution for balancing comfort and infection control in basement rooms and other unventilated spaces.
Let’s create a more comfortable and safer work environment for both staff and patients 🌡️🏥💨
