Improve your knowledge about indoor pollutants
You tackle the following challenges:
That's how you do it
The Flemish and Dutch spend an average of 85% of their time indoors. Good indoor air quality is therefore important. However, many people are not aware of the health effects of a poor indoor environment. However, there are many things you can do yourself.
Therefore make sure that people in your organization or your environment are aware of the importance of a healthy indoor environment, that they know which substances and activities cause bad indoor air and how they can avoid this.
Tips
- Organize an information session or workshop on indoor environment to put the theme on the agenda in your organization. Keep the topic alive by referencing it regularly at internal meetings, in newsletters or via social media.
- Involve everyone in your organization. Make sure that managers, prevention advisors, technical employees, purchasing and building managers, cleaning and kitchen staff are extra well informed and involved.
- Promote the importance of a good indoor environment by measuring indoor air quality .
- Join the action week 'Healthy within' in November (Flanders).
- Schools can work on indoor environment in class with teaching packages:
- Flanders: Nice and fresh (primary school) or Air@school (secondary school).
- The Netherlands: teaching materials can be found on the Healthy School and Fresh Schools websites.
- Healthy indoors, starting small is a poster with tips for a healthy indoor environment for daycare centers (Flanders)
Knowing more
Not only outside but also inside there are various sources of unhealthy air. For example, think of:
- smoking indoors,
- burning wood ,
- Cooking , showering, cleaning , crafts or burning candles,
- Substances released from building materials such as paints or glues, furniture or electrical appliances,
- Viruses and bacteria.
The air inside is therefore usually less healthy than the outside air. This can lead to headaches, fatigue or shortness of breath, but also to more serious conditions such as asthma, allergies or cardiovascular disease.
More information
- Healthy indoors (Healthy Living, Flanders)
- Polluted air in the home and health (GGD Living Environment, the Netherlands)
- Indoor environment (RIVM, the Netherlands)
- Indoor environment in schools and childcare centers (RIVM, the Netherlands)
