Guidance published on Covid-19 and workplace ventilation

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With employers now grappling with what the government’s delay in the easing of lockdown measures means for their businesses, The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) has published an 'FAQs' document designed to help answer some of the most common questions about workplace ventilation and Covid-19. The guidance, developed by BOHS and the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, is aimed at a non-specialist workplace health audience, and so could be valuable for occupational health practitioners to highlight to employers and managers. It deals with a range of issues from toilet ventilation through to the use of air purifiers in the workplace and, said BOHS, is drawn from the latest scientific knowledge and industry practice. BOHS president Alison Margary said: “We continue to get asked about how ventilation can be used to manage workplace risk of infection. Obviously, social distancing is the most effective protection against infection, but that is not always going to be possible. “We have worked with scientists and ventilation engineering experts to provide some clear information for non-specialists who may be trying to keep their workforce cool and comfortable, but who also need to protect them against the risk of infection.” The guidance is available on the BOHS Covid-19 hub.