Health measures ensure the safety of people in public places. The same protective measures are also being executed in workspaces to keep employees safe and healthy. However, viruses are only one of the many sources of health concern in these spaces. Poor air quality and cleanliness also affect worker’s health and productivity.
In fact, an unclean environment can affect participant engagement in meetings. People pay less attention in meetings when they’re uncomfortable. They’re also unlikely to be productive in discussions and decision-making tasks.
Hence, it is important to understand how safety affects meeting success. In this blog, we’ll discuss common safety and health concerns in meetings. We’ll also share what to look for in meeting venues in Manila to ensure the comfort and participation of your teammates for meeting success.
The Link Between Health, Safety, and Meeting Effectiveness
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a group of symptoms that affect work productivity. It is typically seen in office workers and goes away when they leave the building. However, some cases show that these symptoms have long-term effects on work efficiency and motivation.
Here are the building variables that cause common health and safety concerns in meeting venues and workspaces.
Poor Quality
The Philippines is known for its bad air quality. In 2018, the country ranked high in Asia-Pacific countries with poor indoor air quality. Some sources also say that indoor air quality can be worse polluted than outdoors. Hence, workers may exhibit respiratory symptoms even inside meeting rooms.
Poor air quality in meeting venues causes headaches, eye irritation, and upper respiratory problems. These symptoms make workers irritable and distracted during meetings. Moreover, prolonged exposure to poor air quality can lead to severe health problems affecting work and attendance.
Poor Housekeeping
Clean rooms are easier on the eyes and the body. In contrast, dust, clutter, and disorganization affect morale and motivation. It also makes your team inefficient during meetings because they are distracted by the surroundings. They will be more stressed because they’re uncomfortable in the meeting venue.
Unclean meeting rooms may have dust and other allergens that can irritate your participants’ eyes, noses, and throats. This irritation will also make them uneasy and unlikely to focus on meetings.
Electrical Hazards
Poor electrical work can cause accidents in meeting participants. Electrocution can cause muscle spasms and burns. Moreover, other participants witnessing the accident may also experience stress and anxiety, causing a further decline in productivity.
Poor lighting
Poor lighting negatively affects productivity during meetings and leads to more work errors and low-quality output.
Moreover, poor lighting damages the eyes, skin, and sleep patterns. Thus, employees experience eye strain and fatigue in poorly lit meeting venues. Furthermore, they become irritated and less cooperative because they may feel overfatigue and less alert.
Lastly, poor lighting is a safety hazard, increasing risks of falling or tripping that can lead to workplace injuries.
Poor ergonomics
Ergonomic injuries are musculoskeletal disorders caused by poor ergonomics at work. The most common issues are lower back pain and neck pain. Employees are more likely to be absent from meetings and work if they experience these issues. Also, they are more distracted and less likely to participate if they feel uncomfortable in the meeting venues.
Read The Secrets of Ergonomic Office Design and Its Impact on Workplace Productivity for more tips.
High noise levels
Noise is a common part of the workplace. However, loud outside noises can affect participant engagement in meetings because they become easily distracted. Moreover, noise disturbances can affect overall productivity in the office.
Workers’ productivity is directly affected by their comfort in their workspaces. Likewise, their engagement and attention in meetings dwindle if they feel unsafe in space. Hence, you need to be aware of health and safety concerns at work to ensure meeting success.
The Role of Meeting Venues in Ensuring Safety
Your employees’ overall health and safety matter. It affects their work performance and how long they’ll stay with your company. Moreover, it involves meeting success as they are less likely to listen to important discussions if they feel discomfort or pain.
Thus, when finding a meeting venue in Manila, you should check for the following:
• Well-lit meeting room with soundproofed walls.
• Meeting venue with ergonomic furniture to lessen back and neck strain.
• Enough space for movement so participants can stretch during very long meetings.
• Well-lit exit signs in case of emergency evacuations.
• Accessibility for people with disabilities or older people.
• Properly placed electric outlets.
• Carbon monoxide and fire alarms.
You should look for a meeting venue in Manila that meets these characteristics to ensure productivity, participation, and engagement in important meetings. It also helps make participants more alert in meetings, reducing the need for longer sessions.
Elevate Your Meetings with M Spaces Meeting Venue
Participant engagement is one of the major factors that affect meeting success. Hence, you must ensure your team’s safety and comfort in your selected meeting venue in Manila.
At M Spaces, we value the safety and health of all workers, so you can ensure meeting success when your team is with us! Our ergonomic furniture ensures comfort during long meetings and well-lit rooms to reduce eye strain. Our meeting and conference rooms are also soundproof, so there are fewer distractions during company meetings.
We have three different size meeting spaces that you can choose from:
• Small meeting rooms (up to 6 persons)
• Large meeting rooms (up to 10 persons)
• Conference rooms (up to 22 persons)
All our fully serviced rooms are air-conditioned with good ventilation to ensure good air quality. We also have access to a pantry and free coffee, so your participants can take a break and stretch when needed.
Check out our meeting room rentals on Facebook and Instagram. You can also contact us for more information about our services.
