Refurbishment: air quality after the smoke ban

With confirmation that England and Wales will ban smoking in pubs, many companies supplying air quality equipment lost interest in the licensed trade. But it's beginning to look like, or rather smell like, a bad call.

Straws in the wind - quite literally the wind in some cases - from Ireland and Scotland suggest that air quality is just as important post-ban.

In carrying out a series of refurbishments north of the border Mercury Facilities Management was as surprised as pub operators to discover that the tobacco had been disguising an olfactory stew of even nastier smells.

Leicester-based clean air specialist Environ-mental Technology reports it has uncovered "a goldmine of opportunities" in supplying air cleaners, which it has now made its core business.

"Pubs and clubs will realise that tobacco smoke has masked many other odours - stale beer, cooking and sweat," explains director Philip Towndrow. "Venues in Ireland and Scotland discovered this only after smoking was banned - and customers don't like the stink!"

His solution is to install air cleaners. "As a bonus, furnishings and decorations will stay bright, clean and odour-free for much longer, saving money," he adds.

Environmental Technology has installed air cleaners for smoke removal in pubs for several years, but that part of its business tumbled when the market realised there would be an outright smoking ban.

Now it aims to target not only outlets which do not have a clean air system, but pubs which will no longer need to run heavy-duty air cleaners once the smoke ban is in place.

"Many premises have installed electrostatic air cleaners for smoke removal but following the smoking ban will no longer need these high-cost devices with their expensive servicing routine," says Philip. "We can replace them with more cost-effective cleaners."

• Licensees who want to freshen up the air and save energy costs in one fell swoop might be interested in the Full Spectrum energy saving lightbulb with built-in ioniser air purifier, just launched in the UK. Prozone claims the bulb will purify and freshen the air in an area of 20 square metres.