Airport_Business_December2019-January2020 - 26

COVER STORY
into the building maintenance system
and allows staff to continuously monitor
the air quality in the terminal. Additional
ions can be put through the vents during
peak hours to address air quality issues
and adjusted down for non-peak hours
when there is less traffic.
Yakel said LAX is using the
monitoring systems in one building.
"From what we've seen, it's definitely
providing some good feedback," he said.
Better air quality provides a better
traveler experience inside the terminal,
which Levine said will make them more
apt to pick utilize the airport over other
choices and help staff.
"An employee has to come to work
every day and if they're breathing in bad
air, absenteeism could become an issue,

retention of employees become an issue
and productivity of employees become
an issue," Levine said. "If you can create
a better air quality, not only is it good for
the people that go through the airport,
but also for the employees as well."

A Window for Success
Alan Howell, senior airport architect,
airport development department for
the Metropolitan Airports Commission,
said Minneapolis St. Paul International
Airport (MSP) has addressed air quality
and passenger comfort through a
wholistic approach to sustainability.
This also includes the installation of
electrochromic glass to address heat and
brightness issues inside the terminal.

"In the departures area in concert
with the solera glass, is really a chance
for us to provide a passenger comfort so
you're not standing in direct sunlight,"
he said. "There's also an operational
need both for the ticketing agents and
TSA operations to reduce glare as well
as heat buildup."
MSP installed Sage Glass, which uses
sensors to set the coloration of the glass
based on brightness outside the terminal.
Solera glass also refracts outdoor light.
"We get some real good compositional
elements from an aesthetic standpoint,"
Howell said. "We also get the energy
savings, we get the customer comfort and
we get the operational safety and security
based on TSA needing to be able to do
their job really well."

HOW TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE IN
AIRPORTS FROM THE GROUND UP
AUTHOR STEPHEN LEWIS

Flying the friendly skies might leave some passengers
feeling grounded. Delays, turbulence, and missed
connections aren't the only issues travelers face when
they choose to fly. Airports are also incubators for
all sorts of germs, and one recent study conducted
by researchers at the University of Nottingham and
the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare
illustrates just how prevalent harmful pathogens can be.
By swabbing surfaces throughout Finland's Helsinki
Airport, researchers found illness-causing viruses all
over security bins, concourse shops, railings and other
high-traffic areas. With so much risk of infection posed
by bacteria and viruses transmitted on surfaces, indoor
air quality can be impacted, too. It's all related, after
all. Pollutants that appear on surfaces are also present
in the air. In fact, a staggering 25 percent of the air
samples taken from the same Helsinki Airport contained
illness-causing bugs.
With this risk, it's important to act now. The common
cold and influenza are bad enough, but measles is
currently making a comeback despite being declared
eliminated in the United States nearly two decades ago.
In the first six months of 2019, more than 1,100 cases of
measles were diagnosed throughout the United States.
When a person infected with measles coughs or
sneezes, the virus can live on surfaces and in the air for
hours. That's why it's wise for airport leaders to mitigate
the risks of disease transmission starting from the
ground up - on floors, security bins and self-check-in
kiosks, just to name a few. Although so much about the
flying experience can be outside of their control, airport
leaders can make meaningful changes to environmental
hygiene by addressing these three areas:
1. The concourse: Keeping a spick-and-span terminal is
a lot of work, and deep cleaning a high-traffic concourse
can be a lengthy, disruptive process. The airport
experience is challenging enough for some people - no
one wants to be interrupted by a closed-off walkway
while trying to catch a flight.

And though vacuuming is important, it's not always
enough. You'll want to deep-clean the floors to truly
promote good environmental hygiene. Steam cleaning
has long been viewed as the traditional approach to
carpet cleaning, but it's actually more beneficial to use
a cleaning method that doesn't involve water or steam
- especially in busy, crowded environments such as
terminals. Why? Dry methods (those that don't require
steam or water) allow an area to reopen for traffic much
more quickly.
2. Security lines: The biggest threat to a passenger's
health might be the security line. Think about all the
hands touching security bins and the bacteria and
viruses that can't be seen or easily removed. It's a gross
thought, isn't it? The fact that passengers sometimes
move through this area without shoes - or worse yet,
barefoot - only adds to potential health risks. That's
why putting floors, tables and trays through a rigorous
cleaning process is so beneficial.
While cleaning, it's important that the janitorial staff
knows to throw away used cleaning wipes before
scrubbing a new area. This will help minimize the
risks of cross-contamination as the cleaning process
moves from one spot to another. Using the proper
cleaning solutions - and following the directions
outlined on those products - is another important
part of the process that maximizes the effectiveness
of chemical agents.
When it comes to the cleanliness of those oft-walked
hard surfaces in an airport (like tile, grout, linoleum,
etc.), degreasing, sanitizing, and coating them
ultimately removes germs, debris, bad odors and more.
Garbage cans are obvious items that must be cleaned
and sanitized, and handrails and other contact areas
guests might encounter as they move through the
security line also need attention.
3. Indoor air: You can certainly clean all the floors and
scrub each surface inside your airport. But if your guests
aren't breathing in clean air, all that work will be for

naught. That's why it's crucial that heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning systems are maintained and
operate in good, clean shape. HVAC equipment that
uses ultraviolet germicidal irradiation is all the better.
These UVGI systems make sure that your equipment
- and your flow of indoor air - is without harmful
pathogens that can make guests ill.
Don't stop with the HVAC units, though. Using UV
light machines in security lines and at gates can help
disinfect the high-traffic areas where germs and viruses
are most likely to live.
Consider how hospitals use UV lights to keep things
sterile: Medical centers have begun using this light
in tandem with disinfectant chemicals to prevent
the transmission of germs that hang out inside
patient rooms and cause new problems when new
patients move in. Although the stakes aren't as high
at airports, UV lights are still a great way to keep
germs to a minimum and make sure flyers are happy
and healthy - all without oversaturating areas with
cleaning products.
Airports are natural breeding grounds for some of the
worst germs you can imagine and high-traffic areas,
such as security checkpoints, are especially ripe for
spreading bacteria and viruses that can make people
sick. Don't make the often-challenging process of
flying even tougher for your guests. By developing clear
expectations and considering new approaches, airports
can improve their reputation and send travelers on their
way without any hiccups - or anything worse.
Stephen Lewis is the technical director at milliCare, where
he manages all equipment, methods, and products for the
floor and textile cleaning company. Stephen, a certified
senior carpet inspector and an IICRC master textile
cleaner, has proudly served milliCare for more than 30
years. Get in touch with Stephen by emailing stephen.
lewis@millicare.com.

26 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
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