The air which we breath in during our work day can affect our overall well being and health. Employees who work in health care facilities, such as nursing homes, hospitals, doctor s clinics, as well as those working in commercial laundries are often at risk of coming down with colds, the flu, allergy-like symptoms or even contracting contagious diseases. A sick environment is caused by pollutants which are present in the air we breath. These contaminants contain invisible particles, consisting of bacteria as well as molds, mildew and dust mites and are referred to as biological contaminants. When individuals breath in and as a result become infected with contagious airborne bacteria, they can often become ill with symptoms ranging from the common cold to pneumonia and tuberculosis.
Biological contaminants require moisture in order to thrive and remain potent.
For this reason, they tend to originate from, and are more prevalent in humid environments. A health care facility laundry room is one example of a humid environment. The atmosphere always contains some moisture in the form of water vapor in it, and the when it holds the maximum amount at a given temperature, the air is saturated with water, the level of discomfort is high and bacterial potency is maintained at a maximum level. Relative humidity, is the ratio between the actual amount of water vapor present in the air, relative to the amount of water vapor that the air could actually hold at a certain temperature, if it were saturated. A key factor in reducing the proliferation of biological contaminants requires preventative maintenance.