Investigation into workplace ventilation at COVID-19 outbreak sites

Site visits were made to ten (non-healthcare) workplace COVID-19 outbreaks to assess ventilation. Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and humidity were made. Room activity and occupancy was observed, and ventilation management assessed. CO2 readings were used to identify areas of poor air quality, and where possible, airflow measurements were made at ventilation openings and CO2 decay rates were used to estimate ventilation rates. Poorly ventilated, regularly occupied spaces were frequently identified by this work. Measures to reduce transmission risk and improve ventilation included opening windows and reducing room capacities. Attempts at reconfiguration of mechanical ventilation systems were not common. Thermal comfort and heating costs were factors cited that influenced decision making. Overall understanding of ventilation was low and identified a need for simple tools to allow stakeholders to assess their workspaces. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

The implementation of environmental risk controls at worksites experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks - UK COVID-19 National Core Studies Consortium

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is a highly transmissible virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, with workplaces frequently being implicated in transmission of the virus. The COVID-OUT study is established to investigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and risk factors, and their role in COVID-19 outbreaks associated with workplaces. The study is part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study (NCS) on Transmission and the Environment in the UK. Materials and Methods: A series of field investigations of outbreaks has been carried out which include detailed assessments of the physical work environment and the COVID risk controls. The findings of these can be combined with epidemiological and laboratory data to generate hypotheses of the causes of an outbreak and can also be used to support modelling to characterize the relative contribution of transmission routes. Results and Conclusions: Preliminary findings indicate: i) Many workplaces experiencing outbreaks believe that transmission within their workforce predominantly occurs outside the workplace. ii) Social distancing frequently breaks down in manufacturing environments iii) The role of ventilation in preventing virus transmission was poorly understood and many employers had very little information on the adequacy of ventilation in their premises. iv) Carbon dioxide measurement can be an effective method of assessing ventilation, but expertise is required to use this effectively. v) In non-healthcare workplace settings, viral RNA contamination on surfaces is typically low or absent. vi) Most workplaces had implemented enhanced cleaning regimes as a result of the pandemic.

International Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Knowledge Exploitation and Innovation: Case of International Pharma-Biotech SME

Although the literature has generally well defined the actors and their roles within international entrepreneurial ecosystems, more insight is needed on how SMEs fit into these networks and use them to broaden their knowledge exploitation frontiers and leverage their international innovation. This study draws upon knowledge-based theory and an international perspective on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems to examine how collaboration between actors within an international entrepreneurial ecosystem (IEE) stimulates knowledge exploitation and, consequently, the success of international SME innovation and commercialization. To this end, we examined an international pharma-biotech SME and collected primary data from in-depth interviews with its top management team and triangulated the interview data with secondary data. The study was initiated before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued 11 months after. Our research findings contribute to the theory that the diversity of an IEE’s actors and the intensity of collaboration between them are fundamental to the dynamics of scientific, technological, market, and institutional knowledge exploitation and to international innovation success. Further, the dynamics of this knowledge exploitation can support the development of business agility, that is, adapting quickly and efficiently—and even gaining an advantage in pursuing new opportunities—in turbulent context such as the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.