Health

The benefits of live planting in the workplace…

Interior planting not only compliments the working environment, but also improves it! Not only does it add to the ambience and overall image of a successful organisation, planting can also improve the health and productivity of its employees.

Scientific studies have found that plants absorb and destroy toxins that are emitted in the modern office atmosphere. Chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene, acetone and ammonia can cause complaints ranging from headaches and drowsiness to metal sluggishness and impaired co-ordination.

Much of the research on these beneficial interior plants has been done by NASA scientists researching ways to create suitable space station habitats. All indoors plants (flowering or not) are able to purify indoor air to some degree through their normal photosynthesis processes. But some were found to be more beneficial than others in removing harmful toxins, even removing 90% of chemicals in the air in only twenty-four hours! We at IPF Omnipex, where lighting permits, endevour to use the highest air purifying plants as our policy, trying to create a healthier working environment for our clients & their staff.

The three main interior toxins of concern are:

• benzene
• formaldahyde
• trichloroethylene

These carcinogenic chemicals are used in the manufacturing of synthetic substances and materials and are off-gased from new materials for some time (up to several years, depending on the material of product in question).

This means these types of interior plants may just decrease your risk of cancers, asthma, allergies, auto-immune disorders and other diseases.

IPF Omnipex has been improving offices throughout the country with the design, supply and maintenance of interior live planting.

“…breathe life into your business with live planting!”

The process – Water evaporates through the plant leaves – the plants absorb heat and noise & remove dust and pollutants from the air – giving out clean oxygen for us to breathe. We feel more relaxed and calm & productivity increases – In short we feel better around plants, and that helps improve our performance!

We seem to have a firm connection with flowers, plants and trees, which is why we like to have them in our homes. This Biophilia hypothesis which suggests that we have a connection and love of nature is just as true when we’re at work.

Recent research tells us that interior plants are good for buildings and people in a variety of subtle ways. Interior landscaping plays a vital role in providing a pleasant and tranquil environment in which to move, work or relax. Office plants have even been shown to reduce staff sickness and increase productivity.

Indoor plants have the proven ability to:

• Enhance indoor environment quality
• Improve workplace efficiency
• Reduce noise
• Improve visitor perceptions
• Help people find their way around buildings and large spaces
• Reduce dust levels
• Increase customer spend

Plants help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being

Most of us know instinctively that being close to greenery makes us feel more at ease with our surroundings. We experience less stress when there are plants around us. Buildings are quieter and more relaxed but, at the same time, more stimulating and interesting. A substantial body of academic research has shown conclusively that interior landscaping has dramatic effects on the wellbeing of building occupants.

Office plants make people more productive, take fewer sick days, make fewer mistakes and they are happier when their environment is enhanced by interior landscaping. Patients in hospitals benefit greatly from being more in touch with nature and there is even some evidence to show that students perform better when the ambience of the learning environment is improved.

Increase productivity

Working in an environment with live planting not only helps you chill out during a hectic work day, but can also increase focus and productivity – allowing you to accomplish more with less stress.

In a study published in the “Journal of Environmental Horticulture,” researchers from Washington State University reported that live interior plants helped workers complete tasks with more focus and efficiency.

The study asked workers to complete a simple task on a computer in a room with plants and compared their performance with workers who completed the same task in the same room without plants.

Findings showed that productivity increased by 12 percent in the presence of plants. Additionally, people tested in the room with plants reported feeling about 10 percent more attentive after the task than those tested without plants.

Here are some more ways that interior plants can help:

Alternatives to manufactured / engineered solutions to building problems

Reducing demand on the water supply

Cooling

Improvements in indoor air quality

Noise reduction

Alleviation of Sick Building Syndrome and improvements in well-being

 

Alternatives to manufactured/engineered solutions to building problems

Plant displays are usually significantly cheaper than manufactured items, employ fewer resources in their establishment and can fulfil more than one function.

Plant displays can be especially useful space management aids in commercial buildings as they form natural screens and partitions, ideal in open plan settings. They help guide people around a space, whilst at the same time reducing noise, collecting dust, humidifying the air and removing some pollutants.

Reducing demand on the water supply

Rain water is a free resource, which can be collected from the roofs of commercial buildings and used to water interior and exterior plant displays.

Grey water (water that’s already been used once, for instance to wash hands or dishes), once treated and recycled for re-use where drinking quality is not required, can also be used to water plants.

Additionally, interior and exterior plant displays can be fitted with water-efficient subterranean irrigation systems and planted with species with a low water requirement.

Cooling

One of the benefits of interior plants is that they help cool the air around them through the process of evapotranspiration (the movement of water from the soil, through the plant and into the atmosphere). Large interior plants are also very good reducing temperature through shading. Both of these benefits are especially effective in tall buildings where atrium planting is often employed to help with temperature regulation.

Improvements in indoor air quality

Research carried out in the USA has demonstrated that plants attract more than their fair share of dust. Particulate levels (including airborne spores) can be reduced by as much as 20% in some situations. This could lead to a reduction in the use of air cleaners (although not their replacement) and an improvement in indoor air quality.

There is also a body of recent research from Australia and the USA that shows that interior plants are effective at removing a range of pollutants at relatively low planting densities in real office situations.

Noise reduction

Studies conducted by Peter Costa of South Bank University in London have demonstrated that plants can be effective at reducing background noise. Species selection and positioning are crucial to achieve these effects.

Alleviation of Sick Building Syndrome and improvements in well-being

Studies in Europe have shown that health complaints at work and symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) can be dramatically reduced by the addition of good plant displays.

Office buildings with large floor areas and deep plans (e.g. low and wide buildings) are seldom ‘green’ buildings as they can be difficult to ventilate naturally and there is limited access to natural light and views.

Good interior landscaping can give people access to an indoor garden or views of vegetation, especially if there is an atrium or other large spaces, and the combination of plants and artificial daylight can help overcome the problems of lack of access to natural daylight.

 

plants 4 business has evolved into a design-led industry, 

bringing creativity and fresh thinking to your individual needs and environments,

with added  proven health benefits and increased productivity with live planting.

– Breathe life into your business with plants4business –