Sick buildings causes employee discomfort and irritation, reducing workplace productivity and job satisfaction. The cost of not addressing the problem are very real, and the cost of fixing it is probably less than you expect.
Symptoms commonly caused by sick buildings include:
- headaches
- fatigue
- eye, throat, or nose irritation
- respiratory or skin irritation
- difficulty concentrating
These symptoms tend to worsen as the day progresses, and are alleviated when away from the building, and normally affect a handful of employees in a particular area.
To identify the cause of the airborne irritants, we typically investigate the worker complaints, perform a one-day site inspection, and place air monitoring equipment in specific locations for one week. From this information, we either recommend solutions or additional testing if required.
Fixing the source of the sick building syndrome is often easier than most people expect. HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) problems are factors in over 60% of all sick building situations, and are often addressed with simple "fine tuning" adjustments to the ventilation system. Symptoms are often caused, at least in part, by:
- insufficient outside air supply
- poor air distribution (due to HVAC adjustment)
- inappropriate thermostat settings
- poor air filtration
- lack of maintenance
- location of outside air intakes (i.e. sucking in auto exhaust)
As you can see, many of these problems are quickly addressed without capital expenditure. Click to see some examples of causes and remedies for sick building syndrome.
Contact Christopher Collett & Associates Ltd. for more information about resolving indoor air quality problems in your workplace. It costs less than you think, and results in increased productivity and more satisfied employees.
