Is Indoor Air Making You Sick?
If there is one thing that all of us take for granted, it’s the air we breathe. But is it making you sick?
We have all heard of sick people, but what about sick buildings? They do exist and you may even be working in one right now! Sick buildings occur when concentrations of pollutants in the air become so extreme that the occupants get routinely sick. What is this illness known as? Sick Building Syndrome or SBS. The signs of SBS are usually characterized by irritation of the eyes, nose and throat and sometimes the skin.
There are many possible causes of Sick Building Syndrome, the most obvious being: poor or inadequate ventilation, insulation in the HVAC system breaking loose or chemical contaminants from indoor sources such as carpet or upholstery adhesives. Poor air flow can also concentrate biological contaminants such as bacteria, mold, pollen and viruses. According to the EPA, all of these elements may act in combination and may increase other complaints such as inadequate temperature, humidity even lighting.
It is no wonder that businesses located in sick buildings are seeing skyrocketing employee absenteeism. Who wants to come to work when work is making them physically ill? And! The EPA has reported that poor air quality causes fatigue. So it goes without saying that absent employees are not great for business. SBS causes insurance rates to climb and productivity to go down.
So the big question is, do I work in a sick building and how can I find out if I do? The only way to know for sure and to mitigate the problem of poor air quality is to monitor the air you are breathing. AAA heating is experienced in residential and commercial, air monitor testing. Of course, when a building’s systems are being properly monitored, it’s easy to spot the problems and fix them!
Monitoring air quality and acting on the information can provide a more productive work environment and create happier, healthier employees.
Steven Jones
Design/IAQ Specialist
Email: sjones@aaaiaq.com
Phone: 503-284-2173 Ext. 5515
Web Site: http://aaaheatingandcoolinginc.com