Mechanical engineer weighs in on how to improve ventilation in schools

With students scheduled to head back to class later this month, air filtration inside schools may be on many parents’ minds as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads.

Matthew Froese, a mechanical engineer with Integrated Designs, said there are a number of things that can be done with existing ventilation systems in buildings like schools and offices to help protect people from the virus.

“I think the reality right now is that we’re in the middle of a bit of a crisis situation and we need to make the best use of the equipment we have,” said Froese.

First, Froese said building owners need to make sure the system is working properly, and ensure it is running all the time, especially when people are present.

“Every time so far I’ve gone to look at a building, to look at ventilation in the pandemic, there has been at least one system that isn’t running continuously,” he said.

Froese said you should also measure how much ventilation you have so it is up to current standards. A professional can help with that.

He also said you can add better filters to your current system. Failing that, Froese said you can add what’s known as a portable HEPA filter.

“So you can just put that in a space anywhere you’ve got an outlet you can plug it in and add some filtration locally,” said Froese.

Seven Oaks School Division Superintendent Brian O’Leary said the division has 150 HEPA filter units and are using them where necessary.

“If there is a smaller classroom, more enclosed space, we would use some of these,” said O’Leary.

So what about the structure you call home?

Froese said there are measures you can take in your home, like running the furnace around the clock, turning on an oven range fan, or getting a HEPA filter. Though he said houses have limited ventilation capacity.

“From the perspective of your home, I would assume anyone who’s in your home, you’re in the same soup,” said Froese.

He also recommends building owners with large ventilation systems establish a process to check on their systems in the summer and winter when conditions change.