Heating and Ventilating

Nominated by Sussex Chamber of Commerce, the British ventilation manufacturer was awarded this accolade for its work supplying ventilation to COVID-19 hospital wards and field hospitals in unprecedented timescales, throughout lockdown and beyond. The Crawley-based company is delighted to be one of only 399 UK businesses to be given this national recognition.

The British Chamber of Commerce ‘UK Business Heroes’ campaign is paying tribute to Vent-Axia and other nominated businesses by giving them its UK Business Heroes stamp which demonstrates they have gone the extra mile during the coronavirus outbreak. The initiative is supported by HRH Countess of Wessex who has thanked the UK Business Heroes for their incredible work.

Playing its part in the national response against coronavirus, Vent-Axia supplied fans to a number of COVID-19 hospital wards and field hospitals during lockdown to provide good levels of ventilation, essential in such environments due to the airborne transmission of the virus. Sites included the flagship NHS Nightingale Hospital in London, Kent & Canterbury NHS Trust’s COVID-19 wards, and the Rainbow field hospitals at Bangor University and Deeside Leisure Centre, among others. In these difficult times the construction industry pulled together, with Vent-Axia part of the hard-working team that made it possible to enable these essential field hospitals to be up and running in an unprecedented time scale. For example, for the London NHS Nightingale Hospital Vent-Axia ensured its fans were delivered directly to the hospital site within just three hours of the order.

“We are thrilled to be named a ‘UK Business Hero’ by the British Chamber of Commerce for our work during the coronavirus crisis and feel honoured to be one of only 399 companies across the country to receive this accolade. This national award is great recognition for all the hard work by our staff across the company during a challenging time,” said Jenny Smith, head of marketing at Vent-Axia. “We were able to meet tight deadlines during the pandemic as we remained open for business as an essential service throughout lockdown forming part of a crucial supply chain that made critical projects possible, such as the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London. At Vent-Axia we’re committed to improving indoor air quality and public health so it was essential for us to pull together to help in the pandemic response. Thank you to Sussex Chamber of Commerce for nominating us for this prestigious award.”

Ventilation has now been proven to be a key weapon in the fight against COVID-19, helping to reduce transmission of the virus indoors. It is riskier to be inside than outside a building because of a lack of airflow. Public Health England’s guidance ‘COVID-19: epidemiology, virology and clinical features’ acknowledges that airborne transmission can occur in ‘poorly ventilated’ spaces. It's therefore vital to dilute the virus in the air inside through effective ventilation and increased airflow both in homes and buildings.