Workplace Air Quality Crucial for Infection Prevention

A leading expert has called for urgent action to improve ventilation and infection control in UK workplaces. In a recent editorial for the journal Occupational Medicine, Professor Raymond Agius warns that despite the lessons learnt from COVID-19, the UK has still not taken adequate measures to prevent airborne infections in the workplace.

He emphasises that poor ventilation, particularly in health and social care, continues to put workers at risk. Agius calls on the Health and Safety Executive to update its approach and introduce legislation to enforce better indoor air quality. He also argues for funding for research to develop safe air standards, for the wider use of air filtration systems and for proper testing of the fit of protective masks.

The editorial emphasises that these steps are not only urgently needed, but also to prepare for future pandemics and to protect public health in general.

Link to paper here (behind a paywall). Find out more about our #SafeAir4All campaign by clicking here.