A bank experiment: air purifiers against dirty money
In the spring of 2015, we, together with a large Russian bank, conducted two air purification experiments in banking offices in Moscow. These were pilot projects: they must show how expedient it is to use our purifiers-recirculators in bank offices. Now we are ready to tell you what we finally got. We cannot disclose the name of our partner, therefore we will call it simply the Bank.
The purpose of the first project was to reduce the incidence of bank branch employees, the second - to reduce air dustiness in the cash collection center (CIC) from manipulating a large amount of money. For this, Tion cleaners were installed in five branches of the Bank and in one of its CICs.
Tion air purifiers with HEPA filters retain all types of pollutants, including biological. They reduce the number of germs in the air, and with it the risk of catching an infection.
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Take at least the flu. We did not manage to find detailed statistics on the incidence in Russia, but individual studies [1] show that during the epidemic about 1% of the adult population of Russia is sick with the flu. 1000-1500 clients pass through one Moscow branch of our Bank per day. It turns out that during the epidemic season, employees can daily contact with 10-15 patients. And this is just the flu. There are still other acute respiratory viral infections and other diseases that are transmitted by airborne droplets.
In addition, bank employees can become infected not only from customers, but also from money. For example, there is a study [2] in which 94% of one-dollar bills turned out to be carriers of pathogenic microorganisms.
The ruble in this sense is not far behind the dollar. And according to some sources [3], even overtook him. The results of a selective analysis of banknotes from the Moscow market at the Yaroslavl station showed that, on average, potentially dangerous pathogenic bacterial and fungal microflora was found on all banknotes. And the dirtiest turned out to be paper denominations of small denominations. They most often go from person to person and more often get dirty.
Pathogens can live on money for up to four months. Any greasy or sticky spot on a bill is an excellent breeding ground for germs. By the way, bank employees can easily be convinced of this: dirt stains on banknotes are clearly visible under the ultraviolet detectors that are used in banks.
With frequent use, paper notes collapse and paper particles enter the air. Not only is the harm from the dust itself, so along with it all the “money” germs fly into the air. And the more money around a person, the higher the probability of catching an infection. Now imagine how many bills every day passes through collection centers and bank offices. Automatic bill counter goes through the banknotes with great speed. After each such operation, he releases into the air a cloud of “monetary” dust with microbes.
Potentially sick clients and money dust - because of these two factors, it is hard to work, and to go to the hospital is easy.
For the bank itself, ill employees are a serious problem. First, the payment of sick leave is a direct loss to the employer. Yes, the employer pays only the first three days of sick leave, but still it is a loss. And if an organization of a federal scale with a huge number of employees, in the sum of all offices, even three days of sick leave can be a serious cost.
Secondly, employees at the hospital - this is lost income (especially when it comes to managers or managers responsible for the most profitable products).
Another benefit for the bank is the reduction of the so-called replacement staff. Any bank has a swappable staff for the smooth operation of the branches in the event that the main employees en masse leave for sick leave. This happens, for example, during seasonal outbreaks of disease. Usually, the bank’s policy does not provide for temporary hiring of staff only for the period of the outbreak. More often the bank has a permanent “reserve” of swing employees in the state. How many banks do you need? It depends on how many employees go to hospital during outbreaks.
If the air purifier in the office reduces the incidence of it during seasonal outbreaks, then it will be necessary less swing workers. The average salary of a bank employee is 50,000 rubles per month, including taxes and deductions - about 70,000 rubles per month, or 840,000 rubles per year. For example, a bank’s expenses for employees from a replacement fund are 2–3 times less - it’s still several hundred thousand rubles a year. That is exactly what a bank can save if it cuts at least one swap employee.
Finally, an employee with ARVI often suffers a disease on his feet and continues to work in the office. He works, as a rule, worse than in a healthy state. In addition, it can infect colleagues and further increase the loss of the bank.
Finally, air purifiers in the office can enhance the image of the bank and customer loyalty. After all, this is a concern not only for employees, but also for visitors to the bank.
What is there
KIC, through which daily passes huge amounts of cash. The area of ​​office space is 100 m2. There is a lot of dust in the air, it interferes with work and, possibly, becomes the reason for the poor health of employees.
What do you want
Make working conditions more comfortable, improve the well-being of employees.
What is done
On March 30, 2015, we installed six Tion Clever wall-mounted recirculators in the KIC premises. This is a household air purifier with HEPA filtering medical grade. “Medical class” is not for adorable words, this equipment really conforms to medical standards and is used in surgical rooms, hospital wards, etc.
Almost three months later, on June 26, the physicochemical laboratory of Akademlab measured the amount of aerosol particles in the air and assessed its quality.
The measurement procedure was as follows:
The key measurement parameter is the concentration of fine particles with a size of 0.3-0.5 ÎĽm. These include the most dangerous contaminants, as well as causative agents of viral and bacterial infections.
We also conducted a survey of employees about how their well-being changed after installing air purifiers in the office.
What happened to the air
The results of laboratory air analysis showed that the air quality in the office was higher. Here is an example of how Tion Clever reduces the concentration of the smallest particles (0.3 microns or less). When you turn off the cleaners, the concentration of these particles increases 3 times:
The difference in concentrations of larger particles (0.5-1 ÎĽm) with Tion Clever on and off is even greater: with the device turned off, there are 6 times more particles in the air:
What happened to the staff
The head of the CIC in the official conclusion about the experiment noted a visual decrease in the amount of dust in the air. The survey showed that employees were also satisfied with the results of the pilot project. In total, we interviewed 31 employees. Of them:
The result of the experiment is at the end of the article, together with the result of the second pilot project.
What is there
Six bank offices with an area of ​​300 to 420 m2. They do not take any measures to protect and prevent employees from diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. Air in office premises is not cleaned and disinfected.
What do you want
Reduce the number of germs, harmful organic compounds and dust in the air. Reduce incidence among employees.
What is done
In April-May 2015, we installed Tion Clever wall cleaners in the offices and meeting rooms, and in the operating rooms, the Tion Eco channel air purifiers operating in recirculation mode:
As in the first experiment, there was an independent assessment of air quality with and without air-cleaning equipment. This time the measurements were carried out by VNIIFTRI specialists (All-Russian Research Institute of Physico-Technical and Radio Engineering Measurements).
To understand how the incidence rate has changed, we selected four similar branches for each experimental bank branch. To assess the indicators, the Bank’s human resources department provided official statistics on sick-lists for all selected offices.
What happened to the air
Tion Eco duct cleaner units were installed so as to evenly clean the air in the operating room. In order to check how this works in practice, VNIIFTRI experts carried out air intake at various points in the room.
Measurements showed a decrease in the concentration of particles of 0.3 microns after the inclusion of air purifiers. Here are a couple of examples.
Example 1:
Example 2:
What happened to the incidence
The ratio of the number of cases to the total number of employees in the experimental and conventional branches of the Bank was compared. If in the summer the figures were comparable, then with the beginning of autumn in offices with cleaners, the employees began to get sick significantly less often.
Incidence decreased:
And this despite the fact that in these months there were no epidemics of influenza and ARVI.
The air has become cleaner
Independent measurements have shown that the concentration of the smallest suspended particles in the air decreases by 2-6 times.
The staff were satisfied
A pilot project at KIC showed that with Tion Clever cleaners, employees feel better. About 70% of employees were satisfied and supported the innovation.
Employees are less likely to get sick
An experiment in banking offices has shown that with air-cleaning equipment during the cold season, the incidence is reduced by 35-45%.
In general, pilot projects can be considered successful. Now the Bank is assessing the economic effect of reducing the incidence. After that, it will be decided whether to install Tion equipment in other offices and in what quantities. We hope that the decision will be in our favor :)
Finally, once again references to the equipment that participated in the experiments:
More on Tion Clever Wall Cleaner
Learn more about Tion Eco duct cleaner
Sources:
The purpose of the first project was to reduce the incidence of bank branch employees, the second - to reduce air dustiness in the cash collection center (CIC) from manipulating a large amount of money. For this, Tion cleaners were installed in five branches of the Bank and in one of its CICs.
Why air purifiers for bank employees
Tion air purifiers with HEPA filters retain all types of pollutants, including biological. They reduce the number of germs in the air, and with it the risk of catching an infection.
')
Take at least the flu. We did not manage to find detailed statistics on the incidence in Russia, but individual studies [1] show that during the epidemic about 1% of the adult population of Russia is sick with the flu. 1000-1500 clients pass through one Moscow branch of our Bank per day. It turns out that during the epidemic season, employees can daily contact with 10-15 patients. And this is just the flu. There are still other acute respiratory viral infections and other diseases that are transmitted by airborne droplets.
In addition, bank employees can become infected not only from customers, but also from money. For example, there is a study [2] in which 94% of one-dollar bills turned out to be carriers of pathogenic microorganisms.
The ruble in this sense is not far behind the dollar. And according to some sources [3], even overtook him. The results of a selective analysis of banknotes from the Moscow market at the Yaroslavl station showed that, on average, potentially dangerous pathogenic bacterial and fungal microflora was found on all banknotes. And the dirtiest turned out to be paper denominations of small denominations. They most often go from person to person and more often get dirty.
Pathogens can live on money for up to four months. Any greasy or sticky spot on a bill is an excellent breeding ground for germs. By the way, bank employees can easily be convinced of this: dirt stains on banknotes are clearly visible under the ultraviolet detectors that are used in banks.
With frequent use, paper notes collapse and paper particles enter the air. Not only is the harm from the dust itself, so along with it all the “money” germs fly into the air. And the more money around a person, the higher the probability of catching an infection. Now imagine how many bills every day passes through collection centers and bank offices. Automatic bill counter goes through the banknotes with great speed. After each such operation, he releases into the air a cloud of “monetary” dust with microbes.
Potentially sick clients and money dust - because of these two factors, it is hard to work, and to go to the hospital is easy.
Why air purifiers for bank management
For the bank itself, ill employees are a serious problem. First, the payment of sick leave is a direct loss to the employer. Yes, the employer pays only the first three days of sick leave, but still it is a loss. And if an organization of a federal scale with a huge number of employees, in the sum of all offices, even three days of sick leave can be a serious cost.
Secondly, employees at the hospital - this is lost income (especially when it comes to managers or managers responsible for the most profitable products).
Another benefit for the bank is the reduction of the so-called replacement staff. Any bank has a swappable staff for the smooth operation of the branches in the event that the main employees en masse leave for sick leave. This happens, for example, during seasonal outbreaks of disease. Usually, the bank’s policy does not provide for temporary hiring of staff only for the period of the outbreak. More often the bank has a permanent “reserve” of swing employees in the state. How many banks do you need? It depends on how many employees go to hospital during outbreaks.
If the air purifier in the office reduces the incidence of it during seasonal outbreaks, then it will be necessary less swing workers. The average salary of a bank employee is 50,000 rubles per month, including taxes and deductions - about 70,000 rubles per month, or 840,000 rubles per year. For example, a bank’s expenses for employees from a replacement fund are 2–3 times less - it’s still several hundred thousand rubles a year. That is exactly what a bank can save if it cuts at least one swap employee.
Finally, an employee with ARVI often suffers a disease on his feet and continues to work in the office. He works, as a rule, worse than in a healthy state. In addition, it can infect colleagues and further increase the loss of the bank.
Finally, air purifiers in the office can enhance the image of the bank and customer loyalty. After all, this is a concern not only for employees, but also for visitors to the bank.
Conclusion
Air purifiers will help employees feel better at work and less likely to get sick, and bank management will help reduce costs. It remains to measure these effects in practice.
Experiment # 1: Tion Clever Against Money Dust
What is there
KIC, through which daily passes huge amounts of cash. The area of ​​office space is 100 m2. There is a lot of dust in the air, it interferes with work and, possibly, becomes the reason for the poor health of employees.
What do you want
Make working conditions more comfortable, improve the well-being of employees.
What is done
On March 30, 2015, we installed six Tion Clever wall-mounted recirculators in the KIC premises. This is a household air purifier with HEPA filtering medical grade. “Medical class” is not for adorable words, this equipment really conforms to medical standards and is used in surgical rooms, hospital wards, etc.
Almost three months later, on June 26, the physicochemical laboratory of Akademlab measured the amount of aerosol particles in the air and assessed its quality.
The measurement procedure was as follows:
- The aerosol sensor for about 6-7 hours continuously measured the concentration of particles of a certain size.
- The whole measurement period was divided into two stages: with the cleaners turned off and on.
- According to the measured data, a graph was constructed, which can be used to determine how Tion equipment changes the concentration of particles in the office air.
The key measurement parameter is the concentration of fine particles with a size of 0.3-0.5 ÎĽm. These include the most dangerous contaminants, as well as causative agents of viral and bacterial infections.
We also conducted a survey of employees about how their well-being changed after installing air purifiers in the office.
What happened to the air
The results of laboratory air analysis showed that the air quality in the office was higher. Here is an example of how Tion Clever reduces the concentration of the smallest particles (0.3 microns or less). When you turn off the cleaners, the concentration of these particles increases 3 times:
The difference in concentrations of larger particles (0.5-1 ÎĽm) with Tion Clever on and off is even greater: with the device turned off, there are 6 times more particles in the air:
What happened to the staff
The head of the CIC in the official conclusion about the experiment noted a visual decrease in the amount of dust in the air. The survey showed that employees were also satisfied with the results of the pilot project. In total, we interviewed 31 employees. Of them:
- 23 people noted a decrease in the amount of dust in the office and an improvement in overall well-being.
- 9 people suffer from allergies, and five of them have become easier to work after installing Tion Clever
- All staff noted the quiet noise of the device, which does not interfere with office work.
The result of the experiment is at the end of the article, together with the result of the second pilot project.
Experiment # 2: Tion Clever and Tion Eco against morbidity
What is there
Six bank offices with an area of ​​300 to 420 m2. They do not take any measures to protect and prevent employees from diseases transmitted by airborne droplets. Air in office premises is not cleaned and disinfected.
What do you want
Reduce the number of germs, harmful organic compounds and dust in the air. Reduce incidence among employees.
What is done
In April-May 2015, we installed Tion Clever wall cleaners in the offices and meeting rooms, and in the operating rooms, the Tion Eco channel air purifiers operating in recirculation mode:
As in the first experiment, there was an independent assessment of air quality with and without air-cleaning equipment. This time the measurements were carried out by VNIIFTRI specialists (All-Russian Research Institute of Physico-Technical and Radio Engineering Measurements).
To understand how the incidence rate has changed, we selected four similar branches for each experimental bank branch. To assess the indicators, the Bank’s human resources department provided official statistics on sick-lists for all selected offices.
What happened to the air
Tion Eco duct cleaner units were installed so as to evenly clean the air in the operating room. In order to check how this works in practice, VNIIFTRI experts carried out air intake at various points in the room.
Measurements showed a decrease in the concentration of particles of 0.3 microns after the inclusion of air purifiers. Here are a couple of examples.
Example 1:
Example 2:
What happened to the incidence
The ratio of the number of cases to the total number of employees in the experimental and conventional branches of the Bank was compared. If in the summer the figures were comparable, then with the beginning of autumn in offices with cleaners, the employees began to get sick significantly less often.
Incidence decreased:
- In September - by 18%
- In October - by 40%
- In November - by 45%
- In December - by 35%
And this despite the fact that in these months there were no epidemics of influenza and ARVI.
Summary of both experiments
The air has become cleaner
Independent measurements have shown that the concentration of the smallest suspended particles in the air decreases by 2-6 times.
The staff were satisfied
A pilot project at KIC showed that with Tion Clever cleaners, employees feel better. About 70% of employees were satisfied and supported the innovation.
Employees are less likely to get sick
An experiment in banking offices has shown that with air-cleaning equipment during the cold season, the incidence is reduced by 35-45%.
In general, pilot projects can be considered successful. Now the Bank is assessing the economic effect of reducing the incidence. After that, it will be decided whether to install Tion equipment in other offices and in what quantities. We hope that the decision will be in our favor :)
Finally, once again references to the equipment that participated in the experiments:
More on Tion Clever Wall Cleaner
Learn more about Tion Eco duct cleaner
Sources:
- Bacterial contamination of paper currency
- The flu epidemic in Russia in the 2014-2015 season
- Science and Life: Clean Money
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/369587/
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