Working Well

‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (SBS) is a term used to describe a situation where building occupants experience health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building.  The complaints may be localised or in a particular room or area or they may be widespread throughout a building.  

Some symptoms and indicators of Sick Building Syndrome include:

- Physical symptoms such as headaches, eye, nose or throat irritation, dry cough, dry or itchy skin, dizziness and nausea, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue and sensitivity to odours
- The cause of the symptoms is not known 
- Several people are affected in the building, and
                                       - Most of the complainants report relief sometime after leaving the building.

The term shouldn’t be confused with ‘Building Related Illness’ (BRI) which is used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants such as asbestosis and legionnaire’s disease. Some pollutants may cause diseases or ill-health that show up much later.

Sick Building Syndrome and the link with workplace depression

If you have ever worked in a 'sick building' over a period of time and then changed jobs or moved offices and felt better, you are likely to understand the potential impact of SBS on mental health.

There appear to be three main links between workplace contaminants and mental health:

- Subtle side effects of many contaminants include central nervous system depression, such as tiredness, lethargy, dizziness, poor concentration
- Many Australian’s have allergies (4 in 10) and they may have sensitivities to certain pollutants, therefore they may experience stronger reactions and symptoms 
- When people are unwell for a significant period of time and cannot function as they have in the past, especially if they are fatigued, they may become depressed

Possible causes of Sick Building Syndrome include:

- Inadequate ventilation
- Chemical contaminants from indoor sources, such as paint fumes
- Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources, such as car exhaust
- Biological contaminants, such as moulds 
- Other causes including inadequate temperature, humidity, or lighting 
- Unbalanced or excessively high Electromagnetic Fields (EMF’s) – currently under debate

Solutions to Sick Building Syndrome

- Pollutant source removal or modification 
- Increasing ventilation rates and air distribution 
- Air cleaning 
- Education and communication

When building occupants, management, and maintenance personnel fully communicate and understand the causes and consequences of Indoor Air Quality and SBS problems, they can work more effectively together to prevent problems from occurring or to solve them if they do.

If you suspect SBS in your building talk to your organisation’s Occupational Health and Safety Officer, a manager or the business owner directly to arrange a workplace assessment.  An independent audit can be conducted by a:

- Building Biologist
- Occupational Hygienist or
- A Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems Specialist



Reference

US Environmental Protection Agency