by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: October 10, 2008   Last Updated: August 13, 2011

The term Sick Building Syndrome is a product of modern society and our uses of chemicals, biological elements, and pollution. It's an illness that is directly related to the time you spend in the building or an area of a building. It is one of those cases where going to work can truly make some individuals ill.

One of the problems with identifying the syndrome and studying the issue is that it doesn't necessarily affect everyone the same way. Individuals have different levels of tolerance for irritants. Allergies and high sensitivity play a part in finding the cause. There is a vague list of complaints and they are often different for people in the same building or work area. The list generally includes things like headaches, coughing, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and eye, nose, and throat irritation.

The National Safety Council takes the syndrome seriously and has quite a bit of information to share.It's a good place to start if you are looking for information, studies and possible causes.

Architects are being called on to design buildings with proper ventilation as a key component. They are encouraged to bring air in from the outside and exhaust the air out rather than recirculation. Or if recirculation occurs there needs to be extensive filtering.
The other issue is a way to properly clean airways and ventilation tubes so irritants are eliminated. Years ago smoking was allowed in airplanes and it created a very heavily polluted area rather quickly. It seems there are similar problems in some of our buildings. It appears from the studies that most of the irritants are airborne.

Chemical contaminants are the cause in many situations. You may look for things you use in the building that are job related. These may include things like adhesives, pesticides, cleaning agents, copy toner, or any common chemicals used. One example is a specific chemical used in making furniture was causing 100's to be ill while in a furniture making factory.

Biological contaminants have also been identified as a cause of this syndrome. Mold is one of the biggest problems. Mold tends to grow in wet places. If water has soaked through the carpets, dripped through the ceiling tiles or gathered in drip pans and humidifiers, those may be target areas for your mold. Other biological contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and pollen may collect in air ducts and heating vents. This would indicate a simple solution for some of the problems may be a deep cleaning.
It's important to use the right cleaning products to kill the contaminants. It's necessary to mention cockroaches, dust mites, animal dander and rate urine as possible biological contaminants as well.

There are some people who are more susceptible to these kinds of contaminants. All complaints should be taken seriously and investigated.

A healthy work place is a key ingredient to a successful business.

Sources:

www.epa.gov

www.preseing.ne

www.nsc.org

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