Guest Blog

Menomonee Falls, Wis. — For the past 11 years, Bradley Corporation has conducted its Healthy Hand Washing Survey to track American’s hand washing habits and their reactions to germs, the flu and colds.

The annual survey queried American adults and youth online Dec. 11-16, 2019. Participants were from around the country, were 14 years and older, and were fairly evenly split between men and women (47% and 53%).

The findings revealed that:

• Even before COVID-19 hit the United States, 60% of Americans were extremely or quite concerned about catching the flu, compared to just 32% who felt that way four years ago. Among all age groups, Millennials expressed the most trepidation about getting sick.
• 50% of Americans said news coverage of cold and flu outbreaks has an impact on their hand washing behavior.
• In response to flu outbreaks, 79% of Americans said they wash their hands more frequently, more thoroughly or longer after using a public restroom.
• 89% of Americans in the workforce said they consciously take steps to avoid the germs of sick co-workers or colleagues.
• 64% of Americans correctly believe that hand washing is more effective in removing germs than hand sanitizer — a fact supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• When asked where they were MOST concerned about somebody not washing their hands, 40% said restaurants, 35% identified hospitals, clinics and doctors’ or dentists’ offices, 15% answered schools and 8% said airports.
• When they are sick, 54% of Americans said they simply wave hello to greet people, 48% avoid shaking hands and 18% use a fist or elbow bump.
• At home, if someone is sick or if a cold or flu virus is going around, Americans kick into action. 65% wipe down bathroom and kitchen surfaces. 47% wipe door knobs and handles. 46% wash sheets and/or towels.

• In a public restroom, 93% of Americans try to avoid coming in contact with germs by employing evasive measures. 65% use a paper towel when touching door handles, faucets or toilet flushers, 44% operate the toilet flusher with their foot, 42% use a seat liner or cover, 29% hover above the toilet seat, 29% use their butt to open and close doors and 27% use their elbow to operate towel dispensers.
• 97% of Americans believe it’s important to wash up after using a public restroom. However, hand washing doesn’t happen all the time. Respondents said they washed their hands 86% of the time after using a public restroom.
• 67% of Americans admit they’ve skipped the soap and simply rinsed their hands with water after using a public restroom.

“Thorough hand washing with soap and water remains the best way to reduce the spread of disease-causing microorganisms like COVID-19,” says medical microbiologist Michael P. McCann, Ph.D., professor of biology, Saint Joseph’s University. “Soap and water, used as per the evidence-based recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and other government agencies, will help reduce the spread of flu and other illnesses in the home and work place.”

Bradley Corp. is a leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, restroom partitions, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.

For more information, visit www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing.

By Pete DeMarco, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Research, IAPMO

Health officials in Hong Kong have determined that plumbing systems in certain high-rise buildings are implicated in recent cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Based on the limited information available, it’s clear that transmission paths that would allow for the virus to spread between individual apartment units in at least one high-rise building have been identified. In order to understand how this has happened, it’s important to have some very basic knowledge of how wastewater systems work in high-rise buildings and to also look back at the SARS outbreak of 2003; the parallels are striking. In fact, the SARS virus is also a strain of coronavirus, so it’s not surprising that COVID-19 has been identified as having the potential to spread through plumbing systems.

High-rise buildings present unique challenges in plumbing design. The following simplified explanation is intended to help illustrate the problem: When toilets in high-rise buildings are flushed, fecal matter and wastewater are discharged into a vertical wastewater pipe, called a “drainage stack.” As the wastewater descends in the stack, it creates pressure changes within the pipe. The wastewater flowing down a stack will push air down ahead of it and drag air behind it, creating both positive and negative pressures within the drainage system. These pressures can affect trap seals by either siphoning the water or pushing the water out of the trap. A second vertical pipe, called a “vent stack,” typically runs parallel to the drainage stack and introduces air into the drainage stack every fifth floor to avert excessive changes that could deplete trap seals and allow contaminated air and aerosols to enter apartments on other floors.

When the SARS outbreak occurred in 2003, problems with dry traps were indicated, allowing contaminated air and wastewater aerosols to enter into apartments on lower floors through floor drains that are required by Chinese and many other Asian national construction codes. A full explanation of how the SARS outbreak occurred and technical solutions providing health and safety associated with proper plumbing practices can be found in The Health Aspects of Plumbing, a publication produced by the World Health Organization and the World Plumbing Council.

Sadly, with the current coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong, history seems to have repeated itself. According to the Associated Press, a 2016 Hong Kong Housing Department policy change has allowed tenants in certain high-rise apartments to alter the pipe design in their bathrooms without requiring an inspection by a plumbing official, causing the problem that might have helped spread COVID-19. In one of the apartment units, the vent pipe was completely disconnected inside the bathroom, apparently by the occupant, which provided a pathway for contaminated air to enter the apartment, especially when the bathroom ceiling fans were activated. When health officials became aware of this problem, the building was evacuated, hopefully limiting the number of additional illnesses among building residents.

Can the COVID-19 coronavirus be spread in high-rise buildings in the United States in a similar manner? In short, the answer is yes, but unlikely. Due to U.S. plumbing codes, any modification to a building’s water, waste or vent system must be performed by a qualified professional and necessitates an inspection by a code official. In addition, wastewater stacks and vent pipes are typically hidden behind walls in high-rise buildings, reducing the opportunity for residents to easily cut into pipes and create unsafe conditions.

Both the SARS and the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreaks in Hong Kong illustrate the importance of proper plumbing design and practice in keeping building residents safe from disease and the profound problems that can develop when unqualified individuals decide to work on building water systems. The axiom “the Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation” is more than a slogan. Improper deviations to building plumbing systems can, and indeed often do, result in very significant loss of life and property.

Blustery days with chilling winds can cause heating problems in many facilities with high volumes of foot traffic. While the main rooms within the building may be warm from the primary heating source, many areas are left out in the cold as drafts bring the temperatures down. Vestibules, lobbies, entrance ways and hallways can all see a steady flow of people moving in and out throughout the day, opening doors and letting in chilly air.

To counteract these cold drafts, facilities should consider fan-forced wall heaters that provide continuous comfort through optimized airflow. Gentle heating sources are often not powerful enough to provide sufficient warmth in drafty areas. Fan-forced wall heaters however, push back on the infiltrating cold air, ensuring occupants feel the warmth as soon as they enter the building and until the moment they leave.

Functionality is Key

Cold air manages to find its way into facilities by any means necessary – whether it’s through vents, cracks, crevices or unsealed windows. Specialized heating units can stop these drafts before they spread throughout a building, bringing down temperatures and reducing overall heating efficiency.

Fan-forced wall heaters with an automatic delay eliminate cold drafts on start-up and discharge residual heat from the heater body during shut down. This helps attack drafts at their source while making the best use of available heat. In addition, consider fan-forced wall heaters that come with an integrated thermostat allowing for easy adjustment of room temperature to maintain a desired comfort level.

Perhaps a lobby is experiencing high foot traffic at the beginning and at the end of the workday, but have less heating requirements in the middle of the day. The adjustable thermostat allows occupants to alter the wall heater’s output based on need, ensuring no heat is wasted and temperatures remain comfortable. QMark and Berko’s commercial fan-forced wall heaters offer contemporary styles to match any room décor while ensuring adjustable warmth throughout the year.

Safety First

As with any heating unit, it is imperative to select high-quality products that offer protection against common safety risks. In terms of general design, fan-forced wall heaters come with a clear, easily accessible power on/off switch for added safety during maintenance, as well as a tamper-proof plug for the thermostat hole.

Also, look for fan-forced units with a manual reset thermal overheat protector that disconnects the power in the event of accidental blockage. This will ensure a quick repair while mitigating risk of injury. Furthermore, units that include permanently lubricated fan motors report increased longevity and lower maintenance needs, while gently distributing warmth throughout a designated area. Make sure the fan is powerful enough to offset drafts while quiet enough to eliminate unnecessary noises that may disrupt daily activities.

Key Takeaways

Every time a door opens during the cooler months, drafts blow in and bring a chilling effect into heated spaces. To neutralize the draft threats, consider installing a fan-forced wall heater to regain warmth and ensure comfortability for all occupants. Commercial fan-forced wall heaters from Berko and QMark provide strong yet safe sources of heat for the draftiest of spaces.

About the author: Andrew Martin is a product manager at Marley Engineered Products®, a leading North American designer and manufacturer of reliable comfort heating and ventilation solutions for residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Recognized by contractors, architects, engineers and HVAC professionals for providing a wide range of high-performance, reliable heating and ventilation solutions, Marley Engineered Products’ brands include QMark®, Berko®, Fahrenheat® and Leading Edge®.

Marley Engineered Products’ manufacturing operations are based in Bennettsville, S.C., with regional sales representatives located throughout the U.S. and an administrative office in Burr Ridge, Ill. For more information, please visit www.marleymep.com.

Connected technology is permeating every aspect of our lives from the homes we live in, to the cars we drive and now, even the cities where we work. As smart cities gain popularity, smart buildings can act as the building blocks of a city’s infrastructure, but facility managers and building owners must get onboard with – and trained on – smart technology first.

In commercial buildings, one way connected environments can be created is through heating and air conditioning systems that respond to both occupancy and room conditions. This level of automation not only makes it easier for facility managers to operate buildings and keep spaces comfortable, but it also helps save on energy costs and reduces environmental impact, without compromising comfort or safety.

Creating a Customizable, Independently Operated Environment

As many commercial buildings have a multitude of different spaces to tend to, using smart, connected technology to cater to the heating and cooling needs of each space is key to ensuring a simplified building management process as well as occupant comfort.

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology paired with smart connectivity controls dynamically offers not only temperature controllability but also cost savings, allowing facilities to manage equipment, lighting, security and electricity remotely from a single interface. With the ability to connect the system to optional door, ceiling, window and carbon dioxide sensors, a building can truly become “smart,” so that the heating and cooling technology automatically adjusts based on in-room conditions.

In a hospitality setting such as a hotel, this can be paramount to securing return visitors. By deploying in-room controls with customizable interfaces within each individual room, the hotel can begin to position itself as at the forefront of a smart hotel experience. With controls capable of custom welcome messages to guests and providing real-time updates on in-room conditions, guests will feel like they’re in a modern, personalized environment.

Similarly, an office environment can benefit from connected HVAC technology. If you’ve ever worked in an office that blasts air conditioning or neglects to use it, you know that temperature can directly impact employee productivity. With connected HVAC technology, workers can feel comfortable, reducing opportunities for distraction and keeping them focused on the task at hand.

Using HVAC Technology to Reduce Environmental Impact

According to the General Services Administration, VRF technology can save users up to 30% on HVAC energy costs, ultimately as a result of their smaller design, which uses less material than older, traditional HVAC equipment. Because these systems also use advanced technology to control temperature, they are more accurate and have a decreased margin of error, extending the lifecycle of the system and reducing the likelihood of maintenance or repair.

With cities consuming nearly 80% of energy production worldwide and an equal share of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is time for change – for the planet and for the bottom line. Smart cities, with tech-savvy smart buildings communicating through the Internet of Things and running on energy efficient technologies, can make a significant impact on global emissions and the lifespan and health of our planet. For business owners, technologies like VRF, among others, can reduce energy waste and in turn, energy costs, while improving tenant productivity and overall indoor comfort.

Propelling the HVAC Industry Forward

The answer is clear: It’s time for building owners, facility maintenance professionals and installation professionals to work together to maximize the value of smart buildings and cutting-edge heating and cooling technologies. As smart technology continues to change the way we live and work, the HVAC industry is in a perfect position to grow, and smart buildings equipped with connected HVAC technology are just another step towards a world full of more productive – and comfortable – cities and citizens.

Malcolm Persaud is the National Sales and Product Manager – Commercial VRF for Panasonic’s Heating and Air Conditioning Group.  Malcolm Persaud has a wealth of technical and sales leadership experience through the years with Sanyo and Panasonic. He was instrumental in Sanyo’s VRF successful sales launch and growth in the US market starting in 2005.