Hot air in the lodge
By VW Bro Alan Gale
Measuring the hot air
...vaccination, circulation, filtration and ‘maskination’ should do a lot to make lodge meetings safer...
‘A split air conditioning system is not enough – it treats and recirculates air in the room. Lodges need to make sure there is a constant supply of fresh air from an external source. ‘That stuffy fuggy smell can no longer be ignored – it has to be as seen the warning sign it is, because it means the air in the room has been re-breathed too many times. ‘Second-hand air contains a mix of all the particles exhaled by all the others in the room. ‘The more foetid the air, the denser the mix of re-breathed particles and therefore the greater the chance of catching any air-borne disease, let alone Covid.’
A CO2 monitor is an inexpensive way to help evaluate your lodge room’s air circulation.
Watch the danger level rise
The Covid pandemic means masons must change the way they meet in their lodge rooms and gather in the South.
R
espected family doctor and past Grand Master MW Bro Dr Greg Levenston recently told around 120 masons on an online Zoom forum hosted by Lodge Middle Harbour that even something as simple as the air we breathe should be monitored.
‘Wearing masks and being vaccinated are essential protections and so is being careful about the air we breathe,’ he told Freemason. ‘We know breathing in the virus is the major form of transmission. ‘The virus spreads through close contact with an infectious person (including
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in the 48 hours before they have symptoms) by inhaling micro-droplets in the air exhaled by others in the room. ‘That’s how all airborne diseases are spread. ‘It’s not only why masks are important but also why we need to be conscious of the very air we breathe; especially when gathered in large groups.’ Dr Levenston said ventilation is now a critical issue for all public buildings, including masonic centres. ‘There are many lodge rooms with no windows and very poor air circulation,’ he said.
Dr Levenston strongly recommends the installation of carbon dioxide monitors in all rooms where people gather. ‘The level of CO2 in the air is a solid indicator of the amount of re-breathed (and therefore the lack of fresh) air in a room.’ All lodges need to evaluate how well air circulates in their lodge room. R If it is air-conditioned, is the air simply re-circulated, or does the system draw in an adequate amount of fresh air? R Can ways be found to improve air circulation in the lodge room? R If there are no windows, should the door be left open? R Should lodges consider installing a carbon dioxide monitor and taking
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