How air purifying technologies help schools improve health and safety

More than four million students are enrolled in more than 9,500 schools across Australia.Add to this a significant number of support people who are on hand to keep students safe and secure, and to provide support and care during school hours. This includes teachers and aides, office and grounds staff, and more. That’s a large volume of people sharing one space at the same time.

Air quality has emerged as an increasingly important consideration for educators, parents, and governments in recent years, especially as the 2022 flu season was Australia’s worst in five years.2 State governments including New South Wales (NSW)3 and Victoria4 also recently introduced ventilation strategies and the use of air purifiers to keep staff and students safe and healthy onsite, further highlighting the importance of these systems.

How air purification systems help

Natural ventilation, such as leveraging doors and windows to encourage the flow of clean air through classrooms and other closed spaces, is essential. However, this isn’t always possible, especially during winter when these may be closed to keep rooms warm. Air purifiers can be used to augment and complement other methods such as natural ventilation and mechanical air conditioning. And, ideally, they should be used when windows and doors either can’t be opened or are opened intermittently. Air purifiers help to create a safer, healthier environment, especially in smaller rooms with many people, like classrooms or staffrooms. When used in conjunction with natural and mechanical ventilation methods, air purifiers can help to minimise the risk of contagions and reduce airborne viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants which could trigger asthma and other breathing difficulties, such as bushfire smoke.

What to look for

Finding the right solution can be a daunting task. Government policies and guides are a great place to start to determine the level of protection your school needs to remain compliant and keep students and staff safe.

Key features to look for include the ease of assembly and disassembly to facilitate cleaning and inclusion of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to optimise air purity.

The Pitney Bowes solution

Pitney Bowes provides superior-grade air purifying technology solutions, which deliver cleaner air for educational and work environments. The Air Purifier Series features:

  • pre-filters: easy to disassemble and clean, pre-filters catch and trap larger airborne particles
  • HEPA filter: with a PM2.5 removal rate greater than 99.97 per cent, the AirTek Pro Series feature HEPA filters that help catch and trap bacteria, viruses, and smaller airborne particles and pollutants
  • activated carbon filters: the AirTek Pro Series include specific filters to efficiently and lastingly absorb harmful gases such as formaldehyde, toluene, odour, and more.

The high-performance air purifiers are highly customisable, so schools can tailor the solution to their exact environments to meet compliance requirements.

For more information on how Pitney Bowes can help you deliver cleaner air for your staff and students, contact the team today on 13 23 63 (AU) or via email.

1https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/australia-has-over-4-million-school-students

2https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ozflu-surveil-no08-22.htm

3https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families/ventilation

4https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/ventilation-air-purification/policy