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Think of air pollution and cars, gas and diesel
come to mind. You might not immediately
think of paint, but its effects should not
be ignored. Some types include arsenic,
cadmium, chromium, zinc sulphide and
mercury, and volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) can be produced even after the
paint has dried. Paint Inspection LTD, a
coating inspection and surveying company
established six years ago, wants to raise
awareness of the impact paint can have on
the environment and our health.
Business Info
asks director Ian Patterson why this matters.
Business Info (BI)
:What are the sources of
air pollution in offices?
Patterson (P):
Wall paint and protective
coatings on office equipment can emit
dangerous toxins long after they have dried.We
often associate these fumes with decorating
and assume that with adequate ventilation
they will simply drift away. This is not the case.
All paint, even coverings which have dried years
ago, can continue to pollute your office space.
It can’t be detected as easily as general office
air pollution, such as dust and dirt. You can
usually detect air pollutants in the air by their
scent and appearance. However, when it comes
to VOCs you don’t have this warning. Once the
paint fumes have gone, the pollution can still
seep out of the walls.
BI:
How would a business know if they had
a problem?
P:
Businesses wouldn’t necessarily know they
had a problem, but if there is a pattern of
respiratory illness amongst their team they
should consider further investigation. VOCs
that lurk in paint and protective coatings can
be responsible for general throat irritation and
more serious asthma attacks.
BI:
What should businesses do to reduce the
risks?
P:
There’s a new trend for creating really vibrant
workspaces, but business owners often overlook
the damage they could be causing. If you’re
interested in updating your office backdrop,
search for low VOC paints which are created
with fewer toxins. Try not to use old paint left
over from previous projects, as even paint from
a matter of years ago might not conform to
new EU regulations.
Make sure your space is well ventilated on
a day-to-day basis, long after you’ve decorated
your space. If you notice damaged paint that
is beginning to flake away or bubble, don’t
simply paint over it with the same lacquer. Get
a professional to take a closer look at why the
distortion is happening and avoid using the
same paint.
BI:
What does Paint Inspection do for its
customers?
P:
Paint Inspection has years of expertise and is
trained to ICORR and NACE Level 2 and 3.We
mainly work in the rail, marine, oil & gas and
renewable energy sectors, but we want to raise
awareness of VOCs in general domestic-use
paints. They can be extremely dangerous and
we often visit workspaces to conduct sample
tests to uncover the VOCs that are present
in various paint and coverings. One of our
biggest aims is to work alongside our clients to
minimise their impact on the environment as
much as possible.
been planned as a temporary solution (the
site was later demolished to make way for
a totally new construction), the company
felt that it represented great value for
money and fulfilled a definite need.
Identifying areas for development
Every organisation is different and has
specific requirements, but if you are
looking around your property portfolio
for suitable spaces to develop, there are
some key points to consider:
1
The space can be in areas where
you wouldn’t normally base staff.We
converted an underground area that
would have made an unpleasant office
but worked perfectly as a training
room complete with sophisticated AV
equipment.
2
Ideally the area should be clear of
pillars or obstructions to enable clear
views of speakers and to facilitate
communication.
3
Consider parking. Is there enough or
is public transport available nearby?
The space might be perfect, but if
nobody can get to it easily then it may
not be viable.
4
It’s better to have a large space that
can be broken down into smaller spaces
(such as breakout rooms) than lots of
small rooms off a corridor that will
only ever be that. Flexibility is always a
valuable commodity in developing space
effectively.
5
If you have a choice of areas, go for
the one that is closest to your other
sites. If you are a national company with
staff working all over the UK, it’s better
to have a smaller space in the Midlands
than a huge space in Aberdeen.
The decision whether or not to convert
an unused space (even for a few years)
must always be a financial one. But if
you work out the potential savings from
reduced journey times, hotel room hire,
accommodation and catering, the time
it takes for a new in-house conference
facility to pay for itself could be surprising.
Plus, you will have created a valuable
asset for your staff and your organisation.
David Priestley is Managing Director
of Toolshed Communications.When
he’s not converting disused buildings
into conference facilities, he’s travelling
around the world setting up exhibitions
and conferences.
The problem with paint
