Monitoring CO2 to Improve Environmental Health and Safety

Verkada’s CO2 detection comes as an easy-to-install monitor that pairs natively with Command, Verkada’s enterprise-scale, cloud-based management platform. Together, these solutions allow customers to monitor the CO2 level in indoor environments to help promote safe, healthy indoor spaces in school classrooms, office meeting rooms and other indoor spaces.

CO2 Monitoring

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the level of CO2 indoors depends upon:

• the number of people present

• how long an area has been occupied

• the amount of outdoor fresh air entering the area

• the size of the room or area

• whether combustion by-products are contaminating the indoor air (e.g., idling vehicles near air intakes, leaky furnaces, tobacco smoke)

• the outdoor concentration

At levels of several hundred ppm or lower, CO2 is not harmful to humans. At levels of 1,000 ppm or higher, however, CO2 can contribute to a feeling of sluggishness, and impaired decision-making.

One influential study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for example, found that levels of CO2 commonly found in crowded rooms decreased people’s performance on decision-making tests across 7 of 9 scales of performance.

Viral Disease Transmission

In addition to impairing our ability to focus and perform cognitive tasks, high levels of CO2 can also create increased health risks. Because CO2 levels rise with poor ventilation or a lack of airflow, higher levels of CO2 correlate strongly with viral disease transmission. Whether novel viral diseases like COVID-19 or common risks like the common cold, high levels of CO2 in indoor spaces can cause increased health risks.

The best deterrent to air-borne risks is still fresh air, masking, and proper ventilation systems, but in many cases schools, offices, and other spaces have older HVAC systems, limited windows, and poor air quality. About 85% of recently installed HVAC systems in California’s K-12 classrooms, for example, were found to not provide adequate ventilation. Similarly, California’s School Reopening policy stipulates, “to ensure proper ventilation is maintained throughout the school year, all classrooms shall be equipped with a carbon dioxide monitor.”

Hybrid Cloud-Based Air Quality Monitoring

Verkada’s combination of a powerful, simple-to-install CO2 monitor and an intuitive cloud-based management platform helps organizations monitor CO2 levels and keep indoor spaces safe. Verkada’s SV21 CO2 Monitor is a POE device that can be plugged in and online in minutes. At the same time, Verkada Command provides a central hub for management, events, and alerts. Customers can also pair their CO2 Monitor with other products from the Verkada ecosystem, such as Verkada Cameras or Verkada Alarms.

With Verkada’s native system, organizations can get the information they need to stay ahead. Pre-configured events are set up at 800 ppm or more, and can be adjusted as needed based on the type of indoor space, the amount of activity and other variables. Users can also set up text message or email alerts so that they can easily be notified of any high or rising CO2 levels in time to take corrective action. There is no limit on the number of users who can be notified, so teachers, facilities personnel or any employee across an organization can be notified as needed. Additionally, organizations can also see and view data and trends over time to stay ahead of notable trends over time.

Native Integration with the Verkada Platform

With Verkada’s CO2 Monitor, customers can also leverage the full power of the Verkada ecosystem. Verkada’s CO2 Monitor, for example, pairs natively with Verkada Cameras, generating easy-to-search, see and utilize video and CO2 context at each event. If CO2 slowly rises during a crowded meeting, for example, Verkada will capture both the aggregate CO2 level data and the video event, allowing admins to pinpoint issues ahead of time.

Similarly, if certain buildings, rooms, or areas are constantly experiencing high CO2 levels, Verkada’s native camera integration and simple-to-use cloud platform allow organizations to see and analyze trends over time - repairing broken HVAC systems, for example.

A Deeper Understanding of Environmental Conditions

In addition to monitoring CO2 levels through Verkada’s cloud platform, the Verkada CO2 Monitor also monitors temperature and relative humidity. With 3 readings in one device, customers are able to easily monitor the health and safety of their environments. When combined with CO2 monitoring, temperature and humidity offer visibility and intelligence about physical spaces. Customers can identify abnormal changes in environmental conditions, or monitor and improve building performance by tracking environmental conditions.

To explore how you can improve health, safety, and environmental quality across your organization join an upcoming webinar, request a free trial sensor, or email [email protected] for a live demo.