Risk assessment for excessively dry air

Managers and health and safety officers are often overwhelmed by complaints about excessively dry air. A risk assessment can reveal the hidden risks posed by excessively dry air in the workplace.

The air we breathe is a vital necessity. Yet if it becomes too dry, even air can become hazardous. However, improvements can only be made where conditions are monitored and measured. The importance of air humidity is, however, often overlooked, and occupational health and safety regulations do not stipulate a mandatory minimum level of air humidity. This makes it all the more important to continuously assess air humidity in companies as part of a workplace risk assessment. As a building block for greater prevention and performance enhancement, optimising air humidity can be a successful occupational health and safety tool that also has a positive impact on the employer’s attractiveness and staff retention. Air that is too dry is associated with many health problems and disturbances to well-being and should therefore be regularly assessed through a risk analysis.

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Obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act

The risk assessment is a key tool for systematic problem-solving. The employer’s obligation to carry out a risk assessment stems from Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act: “The employer must determine which occupational safety and health measures are necessary by assessing the risks associated with the employees’ work.”

A hazard in the workplace may also arise from physical factors (e.g. from the indoor climate: temperature and humidity). Accordingly, the employer is obliged to organise work in such a way that health risks are avoided and any remaining hazards are minimised. To this end, they must take appropriate measures. The protective measures must be based on the state of the art in technology, occupational medicine and hygiene.

A specific order of priority is prescribed: technical protective measures take precedence over organisational and personal measures (TOP principle).

Risk analysis and the TOP principle of a risk assessment

A workplace risk assessment enables health and safety managers to respond effectively to complaints and implement improvements. It begins with regular measurements of relative humidity over extended periods. Based on this data, a risk analysis is carried out, from which specific objectives are derived.

The subsequent measures are guided by the so-called TOP principle: technical solutions come first, followed by organisational and personal measures. Technical solutions, such as additional air humidification, which can also be retrofitted into existing office buildings, are considered particularly effective protective measures. Implementing a risk assessment for humidity requires cooperation between various stakeholders within the company. Key contacts for office decision-makers include occupational safety specialists, safety officers, company doctors, works councils and facility management.

Image: The TOP principle using the example of ‘air humidity’

Successful implementation of a risk assessment

Taking humidity into account in a risk assessment is an ongoing process. For this to succeed, the importance of air quality within the company must be firmly established, and a continuous implementation strategy for improvement must be put in place.

In particular, employee involvementshould be encouraged, knowledge shared, and communication conducted in a respectful manner. Optimal humidity levels throughout the year can thus make a significant contribution to prevention and the promotion of performance, whilst simultaneously enhancing the employer’s appeal and helping to retain staff in the long term.

Figure: Risk assessment: ‘Dry air’