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How can you reassure them So, it’s official. Scotland is reopening! However, after conversations with friends, colleagues and family, there seems to be a distinct lack of confidence as it relates to re-entering enclosed public places including restaurants, where the wearing of a mask would encumber our ability to engage in social activities such as eating and drinking.  The reality is, in this country, we spend most of our winter months indoors. It is also a fact that every year the National Health Service (NHS) is brought to breaking point by one virus or the other. Every year many people become ill, some more so than others. As a society, we spend millions on extra manpower, software and hardware to bolster the NHS for the next yearly wave.  ‘We’ll be ready next year!’ So we tell ourselves only to discover that the goal post has moved once more - the NHS is on its knees again despite the heroic efforts of all NHS staff. But what if we are looking at this from the wrong perspective? What if we are trying to push the brolly up from the wrong end? Could it be that infection rates are higher than necessary, giving rise to hospitalisation and death? The link between infection rates and the combination of poor air quality and patterns of air movement in enclosed public places is a point for critical focus. We can improve the health of our nation by addressing issues related to quality of air and the pattern of air movement that is served to us in public places.  A few years ago, smoking was banned in public places because of the impact of second-hand tobacco smoke on people sharing the same enclosed space. Some would remember the smell of tobacco wafting over from a smoker some distance away. Why is this important? Well, our experience of tobacco smoke gives us a tangible illustration of how very small particles can be carried in air. When subject to the same aerodynamic forces, aerosols behave in the same way as the tobacco smoke.  The thing is this. For months prominent scientists from around the world have advocated for recognition that COVID-19 can be carried by aerosols (fine spray). The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently conceded that this could be the case. Now, if COVID-19 can remain suspended in air, and lingers in the atmosphere, then it is highly likely that the other coronaviruses that threaten to decimate the NHS every year also behave in the same manner - lingering in the air that we breathe indoors. If the above is true, and we have no reason to doubt that it is, then a better and more ‘Robust Ventilation Strategy’ needs to be put in place as part of our public health policy. We need to capture and remove this and other viruses from enclosed public spaces as an immediate response to the present threat and to future proof our society against other viruses that would threaten to undo us.  We must decide whether we want a permanent fix or are willing to endure the endless yearly cycle of sick days, ill-health and death.  Are we going to be ready with a robust response if or when the next virus or disease strikes?  As other countries reopen public places ahead of us, we can see a pattern of opening and closing emerging, as public places of different types become hot spots for the virus. It is widely accepted that going into public spaces with poor ventilation gives rise to infections. Unarguably, quality ventilation must be central to reopening safely and permanently.   There are three basic constituents of a good quality ventilation strategy:  1. Correct levels of extract 2. Correct levels of supply or make up air 3. A definitive air pattern - how the forces induced by supply and extract cause the air to move in a way that minimises human contact with the virus.  Given the trepidation that exists around the reopening of indoor public spaces, there are a couple of salient questions that need to be addressed. What can business owners do to protect and bolster the confidence of customers and staff? And, how can you reassure them that you have done everything you can to protect them? Well, in addition to social distancing and sanitation measures, Sigma Engineering Product Design (SigmaEPD) suggests the following: • Implement measures such as effective ventilation that would reliably remove viruses contained in aerosol. A well-designed ventilation system is also effective in removing larger virus-carrying droplets that may settle on surfaces. Additionally, you can ensure that the air movement induced by your ventilation system leaves no regions of stagnant air, thus minimising hiding places for the virus.   • Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and some other filtration systems can be used to kill viruses in confined spaces. These can Ideally be used in conjunction with mechanical or natural ventilation. • Publicise the steps that you have taken to remove or kill virus particles that would otherwise linger. Please contact Sigma Engineering Product Design Ltd (SigmaEPD) for further information on:  P  : 01294203374 M : 07821256603 E  : Info@sigmaepd.com W: www.sigmaepd.com

Extracting The Virus As social distancing is being relaxed in England and would soon become a reality here in Scotland, let us use this time wisely. It is important that every establishment has a clear ventilation strategy that would help control the spread of the coronavirus. Please see tips from the Federation of European heating, Ventilation and Airconditioning Associations (REHVA) guidance document below. “Latest studyxvii concluded that aerosol transmission is plausible, as the virus can remain viable in aerosols for multiple hours. Another recent studyxviii that analysed superspreading events showed that closed environments with minimal ventilation strongly contributed to a characteristically high number of secondary infections.”  Summary of practical measures for building services operation.  1. Secure ventilation of spaces with outdoor air  2. Switch ventilation to nominal speed at least 2 hours before the building usage time and switch to lower speed 2 hours after the building usage time  3. At nights and weekends, do not switch ventilation off, but keep systems running at lower speed  4. Ensure regular airing with windows (even in mechanically ventilated buildings)  5. Keep toilet ventilation 24/7 in operation  6. Avoid open windows in toilets to assure the right direction of ventilation  7. Instruct building occupants to flush toilets with closed lid  8. Switch air handling units with recirculation to 100% outdoor air  9. Inspect heat recovery equipment to be sure that leakages are under control  10. Switch fan coils either off or operate so that fans are continuously on  11. Do not change heating, cooling and possible humidification setpoints  12. Do not plan duct cleaning for this period  13. Replace central outdoor air and extract air filters as usually, according to maintenance schedule  14. Regular filter replacement and maintenance works shall be performed with common protective measures including respiratory protection.  SigmaEPD - Great air quality in any environment.

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and Electrostatic Precipitation (ESP) kills viruses In line with our commitment to help our customers to reopen safely and deliver great Indoor Air Quality, Sigma Engineering Product Design Ltd. (SigmaEPD) has teamed up with Purified Air Ltd. to deliver excellent air quality to indoor spaces in Scotland. We use Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) and Electrostatic Precipitation (ESP) to kill the virus in ducted systems and in our free standing units. This will allow us to deploy a wider range of appropriate technologies in each space to deal with the coronavirus. We supply several platforms to deal with the coronavirus which incorporates UVGI or uses a combination of UVGI+EPS as explained in the attached PDF. Both UVGI and ESP are recommended by ASHRAE and CIBSE to kill the coronavirus in enclosed spaces.

Ventilation and Safe Reopening Phew! What a time. The effects of the lockdown have left us all wondering what the future normal will look like. Events of the past three months have left everything to the imagination but have not done much to diminish the sense of vacuous surrealness that we all feel. But the human spirit has been gifted the ability to bounce back from tragedy. One of the great ingredients of bounce back is confidence, but our confidence has been knocked by this virus. Things like shaking hands, hugging our friends and loved ones, going to a restaurant for a meal, going to our place of work and even going to places of worship will all now be viewed with varying degrees of trepidation.   Meanwhile, the Government is beginning to ease some elements of the lockdown. This means we can now meet others in parks, in our backyards etc., which is great. Their confidence to allow such gatherings is because the virus does not thrive well in environments where there is an abundance of air movement. This churning of the air outdoors causes a diluting effect as high volumes of air go past the face. This air movement does not allow the virus to stagnate in our breathing zone thus lowering the chances of infection. They are now discussing the easing of further measures such as reopening places of work and leisure, and reducing social distancing from 2m to 1m. This is also great. But I believe that we need to reopen in an honest and intelligent manner. We need to identify the risks, communicate the risks and put measures in place to mitigate them if we are going to have any chance of protecting lives and not causing another spike in infection. To this end, the Government would be well advised to promote the proper ventilation of public spaces as a key feature of reopening. Our public health policies going forward must be predicated on our experience of the present epidemic and have capacity to deal with any future ones.  We cannot ban COVID-19 and other viruses from public spaces, but we can limit their impact. For instance, a close look has to be taken at the effectiveness of the ventilation of care homes. We need to deploy effective engineering controls to limit the spread of this and other viruses in public places as a matter of urgency. This may also help to limit the spread of the common flu from year to year. Good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is vital to the safe and sustained reopening of the economy post-COVID-19. Moreover, there has never been a greater need for innovative ventilation to control contaminants indoors. The Design and installation of effective ventilation solutions aimed at diluting and removing contaminated air is going to be key in protecting people who enter public spaces in future.  Good IAQ may well become the distinguishing feature between two otherwise equally good restaurants. It is conceivable that people would make the calculation that the risk is too high to dine in a restaurant with poor ventilation in a post-COVID-19 world. Quality ventilation will therefore become a key selling point for hospitality venues. It will certainly be a crucial element for boosting confidence to all who are thinking of re-entering places of work, leisure, care homes, manufacturing etc. Simply reopening the economy is not enough.  Sigma Engineering Product Design Ltd. has a range of ventilation approaches that can deliver excellent indoor air quality with integrated green technologies that can help in this regard.

Toilet Ventilation In A Post - Covid World Toilets in hospitality venues will become a key area of focus as we begin the process of restarting the economy. Except for the entrance to buildings, it is the toilet that sees the highest concentration of traffic in dine-in venues. People move in and out of toilets, touching door handles, taps and flush handles. These hard surfaces provide a haven for the Coronavirus as it waits for its next host. The surfaces within the toilet become launch pads for the virus to be transported by hands into the eyes, nose or mouth of the next unsuspecting individual. This is another reason why the thorough washing of hands is so important when leaving the toilet. Things That Can Fly The preceding paragraph is concerning enough, but this is only part of the story. A second mode of transmission is even more dangerous. In the scenario described above, the individual has to touch an infected surface to become infected. Contactless taps, handles etc. would help in this regard. However, the aerosols produced when using the toilet and subsequent flushing can lead to dispersal of the virus into these enclosed spaces. This gives rise to possible direct ingestion of the virus through the eyes nose or mouth. The problem becomes even more challenging where the toilet comprises cubicles and have simultaneous multiple users. This scenario can result in the infection of many people at once. It is therefore necessary for us to re-examine the way we do toileting in hospitality venues and public buildings. We may need to rethink the cubicle idea and use our design skills to create the fresh outdoors inside. Our design needs to include a clear ventilation strategy along with a reconfiguration of toilet cubicles into enclosures.  Something To Concentrate The Mind If we want to limit the risk of infection spread in toilets. It is necessary to induce adequate air movement within the enclosure to capture and transport virus-carrying aerosols to a safe exhaust point outside. Borrowing a tried and tested method from Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) can be useful in this regard. LEV is a ventilation strategy used in manufacturing and industrial processes to arrest harmful gases, fumes dust etc. The systems are designed so that the fumes do not enter the breathing zone of the operator. The infected person using the toilet is not the one at risk (He is carrying the virus). It is others using the toilet at the same time or those entering after who are at risk. Therefore, as part of the ventilation strategy it may be necessary to establish a clearance time for each enclosure and displaying it in plain sight. This would allow the ventilation system to remove contaminated air from the space, thus rendering the toilet a safer place to do business.   We are now living in a new normal. Toilets that do not smell fresh could result in patrons leaving a venue never to return. Contact Sigma today to discuss a ventilation strategy to help make your reopening safe.