Sick Building Syndrome

Sick Building Syndrome is a term used to describe a number of symptoms experienced by people who work or live in a building. The symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome are usually nonspecific and are usually accompanied by a general feeling of ill health. In a work environment, staff who are continuously unwell are absent from work more often and the syndrome represents a major occupational hazard.

The sick building syndrome describes a situation where no apparent cause for the continued illness of a specific group of people can be explained or identified. Complainants could be from all parts of the building or they can be from specific localised clusters. Health conditions suffered by the claimants are as follows:

Common Symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome

Headaches, reports of feeling dizzy, nausea, irritation of the eye, nose or throat possibly accompanied by a hoarse voice, a dry cough, skin conditions such as dryness or itchiness, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue, sensitivity to odours, inflammation of allergies, influenza and common cold symptoms, increased reports of asthma attacks and changes in personality (mental). Pregnancy problems and miscarriages have also been reported in sick buildings.

Although some neurotoxins can remain in the body, for the most part suffers of Sick Building Syndrome often report relief from their symptoms shortly after exiting the location.

Legionnaire’s disease is another disease which has been known to originate in the cooling towers of buildings. The same organism which causes legionnaires disease is also responsible for Pontiac fever. Humidifiers which have been contaminated with microorganisms have spread disease by humans breathing in the water droplets. Once infected, conditions such as respiratory infections as well as asthma and extrinsic allergic elveolitis, sometimes referred to as Monday Fever have been noted.

What causes Sick Building Syndrome?

It is thought that sick building syndrome is caused by chemical contaminants such as pollutants from outdoors being pumped inside the building. Also if the car park is not adequately ventilated, chemicals can leech in. Car parks produce formaldehyde, radon, lead paint, dust or asbestos which can enter the building through intake vents.

Pollutants originating from within the building have also been pinpointed as being responsible for sick buildings. Contaminants known for irritation are volatile organic compounds such as new carpets or upholstery and adhesives used in construction. Pesticides and other cleaning chemicals, combustion chemicals from stoves and heaters as well as personal deodorants and synthetic fragrances can also irritate.

Pollutants which can come from biological contaminants can also contribute to sick building. Fungus, moulds, pollen, viruses and bacteria all breed in water that is stagnant. Bird droppings are also host to a number of bacteria. Fever, chills, muscle aches, pains, a tight chest and cough are all symptoms stemming from biological contaminants.

Healthy Air

If a building has a lot of occupants, the spread of disease (particularly airborne diseases) can spread more rapidly. This is made worse with ineffectively sanitised air conditioner systems. Ventilation is an important consideration to avoid indoor air pollution.

Healthy air has an excess of Negative over Positive Ions. As the air in a building is re-circulated and is pumped through the ducting system, the friction of the air flowing through the ducts destroys Negative Ions. The destruction of negative ions results in an excess of Positive Ions.

Negative Ions are healthy whilst Positive Ions are detrimental to good health. As the Positive Ions increase, people in hermetically sealed buildings begin to get tired, lose concentration and become irritable. The Oxygen Clusters produced by the Bio-Oxygen Process reduce excessive Positive Ions and Sick Building Syndrome. This is because they inject clouds of Electrons into the supply air, which counteract the Positive Ions. Further to this, Bio-Oxygen freshens and invigorates the room air.

Clean, fresh air can alleviate tiredness and restore loss of concentration in workers working long hours. Tired people can’t concentrate and therefore are more likely to make mistakes. Mistakes cost time and money to correct and reflects badly on your company’s image.

Breathing Difficulties

Many people have a constantly blocked nose or constant sniffles. This can contribute to a constant cough and difficulty breathing, which can be made worse when a person is breathing air-conditioned air. The super fresh and super clean Oxygen Cluster Air clears the breathing passages which enables better breathing. Workers who suffer from these ailments, usually report significant improvement and they begin enjoying coming to work.