Ambius Supports National Plants at Work Week
Cape Town, South Africa (PRWEB UK) 10 July 2013 -- There is a growing body of research which documents the health and wellness benefits of indoor plants, proving that plants are not only aesthetically pleasing in enhancing interior design, but also improve the health of colleagues in the workplace. In areas where large numbers of people breathe the same air, office workers are often exposed to high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Office plants combat this phenomenon by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen; quite literally breathing new life into enclosed spaces.
Carbon dioxide isn’t the only problem surrounding air quality. Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) – commonly found in a wide array of building materials and cleaning products – are the primary cause of both acute and chronic diseases including cancer and neurological failure. A study conducted by Dr B. C. Wolverton, of NASA, indicated that indoor plants can remove up to 87% of VOC’s from an interior environment over a 24 hour period.
Plants also attract dust, which means that their presence can reduce airborne particles by up to 20%, thus reducing the most common cause of headaches and asthma. Plants are also an important consideration in an office layout to reduce noise levels in noisy offices by reducing and reflecting sound, and have shown to improve workers’ speed and accuracy and can even aid in fostering a sense of identity and loyalty. Norwegian and Swedish institutes have conducted studies in offices to determine whether plants have an impact to sick leave, productivity and work stress. The results of this study prove that the presence of indoor plants generally improve colleagues’ feelings of well-being and reduces stress levels at work, resulting in happier, more productive employees. The fact that plants therefore contribute to an environment which decreases illness-related absenteeism means that adding office plants to the workplace makes sounds business and financial sense.
There is also the colour therapy school of thought, which maintains that along with blue, green is the best colour for creating a calm atmosphere. The green colour of indoor plants is believed to stimulate both the brain and the digestive system, and even reduce stress factors that lead to shaking, tremors and twitching. A study conducted in 1984 revealed that hospital patients that had a window with a view over a park or greenery recovered twice as fast as those who had a window overlooking a neighbouring building.
Harvard biologist EO Wilson coined the term “biophilia” term to explain man’s inborn response to nature and “his urge to affiliate with other forms of life”. People naturally gravitate towards places that include elements found in the natural environment, so it makes sense to incorporate these elements into the office, says Wilson. When people have a closer connection with the natural world, they feel and perform better. All excellent reasons to support National Plants at Work week by incorporating indoor plants into your office environment.
One can follow National Plants at Work Week on Facebook where you can find a host of good reasons to have plants in your workplace, tips on how to look after them and more information on how to get involved in this week.
About Rentokil Initial: The Rentokil Initial group specialises in pest control, hygiene services and interior landscaping for businesses across the globe. As the leader in the interior landscaping industry, Ambius has more than 30 years of experience in providing office plant solutions around the world providing design, supply, installation and maintenance of indoor plants. All of their products are designed to add to the aesthetic appeal and enhance the interior design of the workplace whilst improving the well-being of employees. Read more on the environmental benefits of plants or to arrange a free survey by one of our plant design consultants, contact Ambius on 0800 77 77 88.
Nathalie Leblond, Ambius, http://www.ambius.co.za/index.html, 27126704700 4704, [email protected]
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