Ventilation as a preventive measure

The National Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INSST) has recently updated the document titled Ventilation as a preventive measure against the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This work collects the basic concepts of ventilation as a preventive measure against the transmission of the virus by aerosols in the workplace, as well as the sources of information that may be useful, in accordance with the criteria of the competent authorities.

Throughout these months, numerous studies and articles have been published about the behavior of SARS-CoV-2, its viability, survival, spread and transmission. In this sense, one of the conclusions drawn by the research and that has already been generally accepted is the transmission of this coronavirus through aerosols. Considering this route of transmission, ventilation plays a key role as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus in indoor environments, contributing to the reduction of infections.

Such is its importance that the need to adopt preventive measures linked to ventilation in workplaces has already been established through Royal Decree-Law 21/2020 of June 9, on urgent prevention, containment and coordination measures to confront the health crisis. This regulation includes a set of prevention and hygiene measures to be adopted in workplaces, without prejudice to compliance with occupational risk prevention regulations and the rest of the applicable labor regulations. Specifically, it establishes the need to adopt ventilation, cleaning and disinfection measures appropriate to the characteristics and intensity of use of the work centers, in accordance with the protocols established in each case.

Fraternidad-Muprespa has a specific section dedicated to Coronavirus in with all the information on interest related to the prevention of occupational risks and health care that may be useful for your company at this time.