Indoor Air Quality & Sick Building Syndrome
Up to thirty percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be subject to complaints relating to indoor air quality. The condition may be temporary, or it may be long term. Indoor air quality problems can arise when a building is operated or maintained in a manner inconsistent with the original design, or the problems may result from poor building design. In other cases, occupant activities give rise to poor indoor air quality. In any event, poor indoor air quality and airborne contaminants can cause a host of health-related problems ranging from merely annoying to debilitating, and even life threatening. These health concerns generally fall into one of two categories: sick building syndrome or building related illness, both of which are discussed in more detail below.
Sick building syndrome refers to the situation in which building occupants experience adverse health effects that appear to be linked to their time spent in a particular building, when no other specific cause or illness can be identified. Another illness, building related illness, occurs when, by contrast, symptoms of a diagnosable illness are present and are directly attributable to airborne building contaminants. In either case, complaints may come from those who spend time in a particular room or portion of a building, such as the occupants of a particular floor, or from occupants throughout the entire building.
Building occupants may complain of a range of symptoms including headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation; dry cough; dry, itchy skin; dizziness; nausea; difficulty concentrating; fatigue; and sensitivity to odors. If the cause of these symptoms is unknown and most of the occupants report relief from their symptoms soon after leaving the building, sick building syndrome may be the culprit. If the occupants' complaints include cough, chest tightness, fever, chills, and muscle aches, and if these symptoms are clinically definable and have clearly identifiable causes, requiring a prolonged recovery time after the occupants leave the building, building related illness may be responsible.
One cause of sick building syndrome is inadequate ventilation. Up until about the mid-1900s, building ventilation standards required approximately fifteen cubic feet per minute of outside air for each building occupant. Following the 1973 oil embargo, energy conservation measures called for a reduction in the amount of outdoor air per occupant to five cubic feet per minute. Often, the reduced outdoor air ventilation rates have proven to be inadequate to maintain the health and comfort of building occupants. As a result, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recently revised its ventilation standards to provide for a minimum of fifteen cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per building occupant, and in certain areas, like smoking lounges, the standards require more than 15 cubic feet per minute.
Chemical contaminants from indoor sources may also cause poor indoor air quality. Adhesives, carpet, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides, and cleaning agents emit volatile organic compounds, including formaldehyde. Smoking, unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces, and gas stoves are also known contributors to poor indoor air quality. Outdoor chemical contaminants that may be pulled indoors and may affect indoor air quality include motor vehicle exhaust, building exhaust, and combustion products from neighboring garages.
Biological contaminants also may contribute to poor indoor air quality. These include bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses. Biological contaminants may breed in stagnant water that accumulates in ducts, humidifiers, and drain pans, and where water has collected on ceiling tiles, carpet, or insulation. Even insects and bird droppings can be a source of contamination. Physical symptoms resulting from exposure to a biological contaminant include coughing, chest tightness, chills, fever, muscle aches, and allergic reactions causing cold-like symptoms. One notorious indoor bacterium, Legionella, caused Legionnaire's Disease and Pontiac Fever, both of which received considerable media attention in recent years.
Employees who work in "sick buildings" have the right to request a timely investigation of their health complaints and resolution of any related compensation claims. Some employees who develop sick building syndrome may only be able to continue working if their employers provide them with reasonable accommodations, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Such accommodations may include restricting or banning the use of toxic office supplies, cleaning products, and pesticides in the immediate work area and common areas; increasing the flow of outside air; providing an alternative work space in a less toxic area; allowing the employee to work at home, with the employer providing all necessary equipment if reasonable accommodation in the original work area is impossible; and job restructuring, if the other options are inadequate to address the employee's issues.
An attorney experienced in environmental or personal injury law can help determine whether a valid claim based on sick building syndrome or building related disease exists. The right attorney can advise plaintiffs of their rights if they have been exposed to indoor contaminants and provide skilled and effective representation should litigation become necessary. Defense attorneys experienced in environmental law can provide vigorous representation for defendants in such lawsuits. Only with effective legal counsel can plaintiffs or defendants be assured that all of their legal rights will be protected.
To read and printout a copy of the Form please link below.
Intake Questionnaire: Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building
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