Periconi, LLC Environmental Law Blog

Posted By James J. Periconi, Esq. on July 11, 2008

Employee complaints can be due to two types of building problems:  Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), and building-related illnesses.  SBS is used to describe situations in which building occupants experience acute health effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness can be identified.  SBS is associated with complaints of discomfort including headache, nausea and dizziness; eye, nose, throat, and respiratory irritation; coughing; difficulty concentrating; sensitivity to odors; muscle pain; and fatigue.  The specific causes of the symptoms are often not known but sometimes are attributed to the effects of a combination of substances or individual susceptibility to low concentrations of contaminants.  Symptoms of SBS are associated with periods of occupancy and often disappear after the worker leaves the worksite. 

One possible cause of SBS is inadequate ventilation, which may occur if HVAC systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building.  In an effort to achieve acceptable IAQ while minimizing energy consumption, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently revised its ventilation standard to provide a minimum of 15 cfm of outdoor air per person (20 cfm/person in office spaces).  Up to 60 cfm/person may be required in some spaces (such as smoking lounges) depending on the activities that normally occur in that space.

Another possible cause of SBS is chemical contaminants from outside air pollution.  As mentioned above, indoor air pollution primarily comes from sources inside the building which include building components and office equipment that emit VOCs.  As also discussed above, outside sources include VOCs from vehicle emissions, particularly in busy office districts such as midtown or downtown Manhattan.  Research indicates that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens.  Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions.

Categories: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
Tags: acute health effects, American Society of Heating, ASHRAE, carcinogens, chemical contaminants, contaminants, HVAC, refrigerating and air-conditioning engineers, SBS, sick building syndrome, vehicle emissions, ventilation, VOCs