Around 96% of the office workers in the Middle East have a higher-than-average knowledge of their building’s indoor air quality (IAQ) compared to their global counterparts, according to a recent survey by global technology major Honeywell. 

 

Almost all respondents believe it is important for their employer or building manager to keep them informed of their office’s IAQ, stated Honeywell in its survey of office workers conducted in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt).

 

More than 70% of office-based workers surveyed in the Middle East have access to information about their building’s IAQ – significantly higher than the global average of 53%. 

 

Yet, Honeywell’s research suggests that the information made available to employees about IAQ is limited. 

 

Only two in five (40%) of those surveyed in the Middle East say they know a lot about their building’s IAQ. 

 

More than nine in 10 respondents (93%) are worried about their building’s IAQ, and 70% say they are willing to leave their job if their employer doesn’t take steps to create a healthier indoor environment, stated the company’s second annual Healthy Buildings Survey, titled “Workplace Air Quality: A Global Concern Emerges.”

 

The survey recently queried 3,000 workers in buildings with 500-plus workers in Asean, Germany, India, the Middle East, the UK and the US.

 

A substantial majority (85%) of respondents in the Middle East believe the quality of air they breathe has a direct impact on their health and well-being. The top health benefits of safe IAQ they mention include:

 

●Better overall physical health (55%)

●Fewer allergic responses, resulting in less sneezing and coughing (51%)

●Exposure to fewer airborne contaminants (48%)

●Better overall mental health (45%)

●Improved productivity and problem-solving (37%)

 

Additional findings of the note include: 

 

●With the rise of new Covid-19 variants, an overwhelming majority (89%) of those surveyed in the Middle East say they are more concerned about IAQ than they were before.

 

●Three-quarters of respondents in the Middle East (75%) feel that indoor air is less healthy to breathe than outdoor air.

 

"Office workers in the Middle East have a better understanding of air quality compared with the global average, but our research shows they remain highly concerned about IAQ levels within their buildings," remarked Fahmi Jabri, general manager of building management systems, Honeywell Building Technologies, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. 

 

"With the rising importance of well-being in the workplace, demonstrating an effort to create a healthier building environment is an advantage in attracting and retaining employees. Every investment made in upgrading workplace air quality, monitoring IAQ data and communicating it to employees will pay off strategically," added Jabri.

 

Honeywell's Healthy Buildings solutions integrate air quality, safety and security technologies with advanced analytics to help building owners improve the health of their buildings, operate more cleanly, comply with new guidelines, and help reassure occupants. 

 

Honeywell’s advanced IAQ portfolio can help improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency goals, and importantly, change the way occupants experience a building.-TradeArabia News Service