While the coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020 has everyone thinking a little bit more about the risk of airborne pathogens, it’s not the only virus that can spread through a lot of people. Cold and flu season can wreak havoc on a workplace or school and potentially cause other serious illnesses in the young, old, and other vulnerable populations.
Honeywell is introducing a new monitor to their lineup: The Honeywell Transmission Risk Air Monitor (HTRAM). It analyzes specific air quality conditions in a space and alerts the user when conditions are present that may increase risk of potential exposure to airborne viral transmission, including increased carbon dioxide (CO2) levels.
The monitor won’t tell you the nature of the particulates or viruses in the air, but it will help you perform a threat assessment based on other factors of air quality. The HTRAM offers a cost-effective, user-friendly solution to monitor the indoor CO2 ppm level. With activity based real time alarm settings, an alert is sent when potentially higher risk conditions exist. This can help you reduce the spread of diseases, decrease the risk of exposure for all occupants, and take proactive measures to improve your air quality.
If you’re working in a small-to-medium-sized building (ideally with an 800-1000 square foot area to monitor), the HTRAM might be perfect for your needs.
Monitoring Important Air Quality Factors
Viral transmission can increase or decrease based on other air quality factors. Though the HTRAM does not measure viruses, it does measure different risk-based factors, such as the CO2 concentration levels, in relation to how many people are breathing in your building and how high your risk of contracting a virus is likely to be. The monitor is a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor that can detect a range of CO2 emissions from 400 ppm to 2000 ppm and up to 10,000 ppm extended range. CO2 is used as a substitute for measuring air changes and ventilation, with enhanced ventilation directly linked to reducing viral transmissions in the space. It can also detect temperatures from -20°C/-4°F to 60°C/140°F and humidity from 0% to 100% RH.
It does not prevent or reduce virus transmission nor mitigate viruses that may be present, nor does it detect or warn against the presence of any virus, including but not limited to COVID-19. Even at lower risk levels caution is required to prevent viral transmission. The HTRAM does not repel or destroy any microorganism, viruses, bacteria, or germs.monitor their air quality for potential viral transmission.
Easy to Use and Customize
The HTRAM works for a range of areas, applications, and conditions, and it’s easy to change the settings for your needs. The sensor comes with three pre-programmed settings for indoor activity levels based on the average room size, how many people are likely there, what they’re doing, and their breathing rate and duration. Breathing rate and duration includes low activity (for places like movie theaters, libraries, and classrooms), medium activity (for restaurants, offices, and small clinics), and high activity (for gyms, indoor arenas, and recreation centers). The easy-to-read monitor uses a green, yellow, or red traffic light pattern and a sound alarm to alert users to conditions with heightened transmission risk. It has a sleek, lightweight design made of alloy and plastic that’s easy to carry around for portable monitoring and comes with a USB charging cable— AC adapters and wall mount kits are sold separately if you’d rather keep it in one place. It also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability so that you can connect to the corresponding mobile application and online dashboard to monitor air quality from anywhere.
More for Your Money
For the small-to-medium-sized building or organization conscious of protecting its workers and everyone that comes through the door at any time of year, the HTRAM is a great addition to your safety equipment from a highly trusted company. It’s a Wi-Fi-enabled IoT edge device that will work with most standard Wi-Fi networks. Access the dashboard and mobile app solution for device alerts and data at your fingertips.
The Enterprise-level app provides enhanced features and functionality for device management on multiple devices and multi-room monitoring, and historical data reporting. It can also be used to pair and add devices. Monitoring your indoor air quality for viral transmission risks will keep everyone safer and healthier throughout the year. With the first year software license included and a one-year limited product warranty, you can be sure you’re getting a cost-effective tool for proactive air treatment.
PK Safety wants to be your partner in breathing easier at work. We only carry brands and products that we’ve personally vetted and would trust to keep us safe. We’re even a Factory Authorized Service Center for BW Honeywell gas monitors, in case you need your other Honeywell monitors serviced. For more information on our products and other worksite safety questions, our website is always available, and you can contact one of our safety experts online or by calling 800.829.9580.