BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the city government plans to acquire an instrument that measures air circulation as a measure to protect the health of workers in closed spaces.
“We plan to buy the instrument which our sanitation office will use as a guide in aiding establishments to retrofit their areas to protect the workers from the possibility of getting infected with the virus,” Magalong said in a statement on Monday.
He said the instrument will help the city’s sanitation office personnel to determine which establishment does not have enough ventilation so that they can adopt remedial measures or make necessary structural changes, if possible.
The local finance committee has been tasked to look for the device and to allot funds as part of the city’s efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Magalong said while using the device, establishments will be guided if they need to make some revisions in their areas, such as the opening of some windows to allow air to flow freely.
He said a device was borrowed by the city government from Texas Instruments Philippines Company, an international company based at the Baguio City Export Processing Zone, and was used by the Sanitation Division of the City Health Services Office in one of the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies where a Covid-19 case outbreak occurred to check the efficacy of the instrument.
“Air was measured in one room and the Air Change per Hour (ACH) was found insufficient with 3.4 ACH. Occupational safety and health (OSH) standard requires 8 ACH but experts say 12 ACH is required for a Covid-19-free room,” Magalong said.
The mayor said health experts have repeatedly cautioned the public against enclosed spaces because of the high risk of contracting the virus in case there is a person in the room who is infected with Covid-19.
Magalong emphasized the importance of having good ventilation whether in homes, workplaces, or any establishment in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
“Open windows and doors or any opening to allow air circulation in your homes, offices, and establishments,” the mayor advised. He said the city government is continuously looking for ways like available technologies that can help protect the public. **By Liza Agoot, PNA
