When Air Becomes Breath!

Dr. Paul Kalanidhi's soul-stirring book, "When breath becomes air," catalogs his reflections on life and death as he tragically battled advanced lung cancer. Now, even as the world continues to face the tyranny of the virus, I flipped his words (When air becomes breath) as a metaphor for the pandemic times. The main reason-WHO has (finally) declared that Coronavirus is airborne! So, it is not just the door handles that you need to worry about; it is the very air you breathe. WHO confirmed what many suspected all along- that COVID droplets hang in the air long after the transmitter walks away. Harvard's health coronavirus resource center states that aerosolized Coronavirus can remain in the air for up to three hours! Think about it. Restaurants, schools, shops, offices, factories, subways, buses, gyms, stadiums- just about anywhere-could be a place you could catch the dreaded virus. 

 No wonder 3 in 5 workers would rather change jobs than go back to a workplace that does not assure them of safety (Harris Poll). 79% of people have prioritized health over work, and 83% say that COVID has made them more careful in not getting themselves and others sick. Another survey from Kingston Business School confirms that physical safety is emerging as the new and necessary condition for engagement and performance. And the worry about physical safety is not necessarily just about working conditions. It is also about a concern about the irresponsible behaviors of others. We are still not out of the woods on the pandemic, with many not vaccinated yet. Some refuse to get vaccinated, and there are no guarantees how long the vaccines will last and if they can withstand all the rapidly multiplying mutations. 

If we think that our not getting COVID, or for that matter, any other virus, is dependent on how others behave, we will always remain skeptical about our safety. Organizations cannot assume that just because all most employees are vaccinated, maintain social distancing, and use hand sanitizers (that have replaced candy jars), people will feel safe. One positive covid test among employees back in the office will be enough to throw the whole return-to-work plan in disarray. 

USA Today published the tragic story of a Wisconsin food plant where 1 in 14 migrant workers died due to COVID because of significant safety missteps from the plant management. The company housed these workers in barracks, and many contracted the airborne virus. Not only that, as some of the migrant workers returned to their hometowns, they carried the virus with them. Meanwhile, the company that owns the plant reported that its profits tripled nine months after the pandemic. By August 2020, three other food plants, two in Minnesota and one other in Wisconsin, also saw similar outbreaks. And what of OSHA (the US agency that oversees occupational safety and health regulations)? They fined the company $4,900, which the company is contesting as unjustified!

How do you think this engenders confidence and trust among people to return to an office or factory? Remember, 3 in 5 workers would switch if they felt that their workplaces are not safe! This is no longer just a safety issue; it is a human resource issue, a talent issue, an employer of choice issue. The big question for progressive organizations that want to do the right thing by their employees is how do they create confidence among their employees that they take all precautions and create safety conditions?  

In this connection, I spoke with Lisa Tecklenburg, an ex-GE colleague who is the CMO of R-Zero, a partner to the Harris Poll mentioned. This innovative start-up has introduced hospital-grade disinfection systems that purify the air quickly and far better than conventional systems and manual cleaning. R-Zero's product disinfects air and surface within 1000 square feet in 7 minutes, more cheaply and thoroughly. This is the kind of innovation we need! I am no technical expert, but I think about this as an HR practitioner- short-term and long-term. In addition to COVID-19 still being a clear and present danger, there are still 40 million flu cases every year. A more robust disinfectant system that purifies the air and ensures physical safety has tremendous advantages and is a sign of organizations being proactive about their employees' wellbeing. 

Think airplane cabins. Cabin air is refreshed 20-30 times an hour, about 10 times more than most office buildings. And HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) systems used in aircraft have a bacteria/virus removal efficiency rate of 99.993%! Harvard reported that this high-frequency air cleaning ensured that transmission chances of the virus in an air cabin is minuscule. 

Progressive workplaces need to think beyond the pandemic and invest in similar technologies. When air is cleaned thoroughly and frequently, it reduces the chance of the virus particles hanging around long enough to infect people. The result? A safer, healthier workplace. Technologies such as the one offered by R-Zero show a clear bottom-line impact (lower sick days) and higher employee engagement. 

Safety is an essential workplace requirement, not a desirable one. Over the last many years, many organizations have taken care of the visible issues of safety- the protective hats, boots, gloves, marked-off spaces. These are excellent practices and need to continue. We need to add one more layer of safety to that, which is the air we breathe! It is the new corporate health responsibility! 91% of employees think so (Harris Poll).

We all know Maslow's hierarchy- safety is the foundational need for employees. And I do think we need more innovation in this space. Thank you, Lisa, for educating me on how we can improve the air we breathe!

 Lisa Tecklenburg can be reached at linkedin.com/in/lisa-tecklenburg.