Its Thursday 21st June 2018 and its Clean Air Day. Coordinated by Global Action Plan charity, Clean Air Day is about raising awareness of air pollution what causes it, what the effects are, and what we can do about it.
In our line of work at APS, air pollution is something we take seriously, we have started bringing in hybrid cars for our sales team, running off electric where possible. Our Directors are also taking part in Ride London (100miles!!) on the 29th July to raise money for British Lung Foundation, see their training progress and donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/apsukltd-blf
For Clean Air Day, in our office everyone is trying to do something to help. People have cycled to work rather than drive, those with hybrid cars have used only electric, everyone still having to use a car has checked their tyre pressures and one person is having a vegetarian day (vegetarian diets help reduce methane in the atmosphere).
Air pollution can come from many sources, but road transport is one of the biggest. Vehicles are the main source of nitrogen dioxide in the UK (with diesels being the worst). But shockingly as a car driver you can actually be exposed to twice as much air pollution as pedestrians and nine times more than a cyclist! So another great reason to ditch the car for the bike.
Effects
- - It is estimated that 40,000 deaths each year are caused by the air we breathe when out and about.
- - Air Pollution has a bigger effect on children than it does adults. Childrens organs and immune systems are still developing and so are more susceptible.
- - Children with asthma who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution suffer more frequent chronic respiratory symptoms.
- - Air Pollution increases the risk of lung cancer (1 in 13 cases).
- - Long term exposure is also linked to the development of cardiovascular disease.
- - Higher daily concentrations of air pollutants are associated with increased asthma attacks, increased hospital admissions and increased daily mortality.
- - Walk, cycle, bus, train or car share, limit vehicle use where you can.
- - Drive an electric vehicle.
- - Switch your engine off when stationary.
- - Make sure your tyres are correctly inflated so your car is running efficiently.
- - Consume less energy- (and save money!). Switch lights off where you can, only fill the kettle with the water you need and only run washing machines/dishwashers when full.
- - Compost - have a compost bin for garden waste / vegetable peelings. This helps produce fertile soil and means your garden waste doesn't have to be burned.
Many industrial process also create air pollution and can be dangerous for the workforce to work in. If your business has any processes which create airborne dust and fume particles, talk to us and we can give a free quote for a bespoke system. Read in more detail about we can do here: http://apsukltd.co.uk/our-services/dust-extraction/
If you already have a Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) system in place, ensure it is properly maintained to efficiently protect your workforce. By HSE standards LEV systems should be tested every 12-14 months. This is also something we can help with, read more about the importance of LEV testing here: http://apsukltd.co.uk/our-services/lev-testing/
The important thing to remember is to do your best to reduce air pollution not just on Clean Air Day but the rest of the year too!
Facts and figures are taken from www.cleanairday.org.uk and www.hse.gov.uk/lev/