New Survey Shows Workers Worry About Air Quality
Many workers said they are concerned the air may be polluted and think access to clean air is important.
- By Alex Saurman
- May 04, 2022
A new survey shows that more than 60 percent of workers worry the air in their workspace and offices is polluted.
The survey, conducted by YouGov for Blueair, questioned 1,006 people in the United States from March 23-31, 2022, about pollution and indoor air quality. A total of 67 percent of people said they worry “the air [they] breath is polluted,” with 21 percent saying they don’t worry.
The indoor air pollutants respondents said they worry about the most are dust (44 percent), bacteria and viruses (36 percent) and pollen (31 percent). Pet hair/dander (26 percent), chemicals (25 percent), and smoke (23 percent) were close behind.
Respondents were specifically asked about pollutants in their offices or workspaces. A total of 67 percent said they worry the air is polluted, but 23 percent said they do not worry.
With such a high number of people concerned about indoor air quality, it’s important to think about how it might affect prospective workers.
The survey asked this question, and 61 percent said “access to clean air” is very important or somewhat important to them when “choosing a job.”
According to the survey, many of the respondents said they expect certain locations to have air purifiers: schools/nursery schools (44 percent), hotels (44 percent), offices/workplaces (42 percent), and dental clinics (40 percent). Other locations included gyms (39 percent), restaurants (33 percent), hairdressers (27 percent) and cafes (8 percent).
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.