Vent-Axia welcomes new Infection Resilient Environments report

Leading ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has welcomed a recent report on infection resilient environments, by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), which calls for a major upgrade of buildings to create healthier indoor environments. The report ‘Infection Resilient Environments: Time for a Major Upgrade’ reveals that infection control measures could save up to £23 billion a year if there is another pandemic. Plus, it recommends that the operational performance of buildings, including ventilation and infection resilience, should be regulated going forwards.

This report follows on from ‘Infection Resilient Environments: Buildings that keep us healthy and safe’, published in July 2021. Commissioned in 2021 by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, the new NEPC research, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), set out to identify the measures needed to reduce transmission of infectious diseases in the UK’s built environment and transport systems. Ventilation has been found to be a key part of achieving this.

The report confirms that healthy buildings are good for infection resilience but are also good for health, saving employers money due to less absences and better productivity. Vent-Axia welcomes the new report and agrees with its findings on ventilation improving infection resilience and improving productivity.

“Throughout the Pandemic we supported hospitals and businesses by advising on and supplying ventilation to help mitigate COVID-transmission. However, ventilation not only reduces infection transmission it also improves indoor air quality and so helps protect health”, said David Cook, Technical Product Manager at Vent-Axia. “Furthermore, good indoor air quality also improves productivity, another benefit for employers.”