Sick Building Syndrome

Condition

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is also known as tight building syndrome. Over the years buildings have become more airtight or sealed through advances in architecture. Sick Building Syndrome is a medical condition caused by poor indoor air quality, interior, exterior and biological contamination. The condition causes you to feel generally unwell and uncomfortable when indoors with the symptoms getting worse the longer you are in a particular room or building.

Some mystery surrounds SBS as the symptoms are broad and a specific illness cannot be pinpointed. You may not know what is causing you to feel unwell or why your symptoms linger. A lot of the symptoms can be other illnesses. Even though SBS is not seen as a clinical illness, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has acknowledged it since 1982.

Symptoms

SBS symptoms are mild and you may only experience one or you could experience multiple symptoms. As you spend most of your time at work, you may find that you suffer more during working hours which increases over the week. Symptoms can negatively affect your productivity, mood and motivation.

• Headaches
• Mental fatigue, trouble concentrating
• Irritability
• Lethargic
• Tiredness, feeling drowsy
• Feeling dizzy
• Feeling sick
• Breathing difficulties, coughing, wheezing
• Dry or sore throat
• Dry or sore eyes
• Blocked sinuses, blocked nose and runny nose, sensitive to smells
• Dry or itchy skin, skin rash
• Cold or flu like symptoms
• Aching muscles, stiff joints

Contributing Factors

It is not known what causes SBS, only what the contributing factors are likely to be. These include a number of environmental, physical and occupational factors which in combination can trigger SBS.

Ventilation Factors

Every interior needs constant fresh ventilation to keep air quality levels high and the risk of SBS low. Situations where air quality is reduced:

• Air tight rooms where the windows cannot be opened and doors are sealed for fire safety
• Artificial heating, ventilation and cooling systems
• Inadequate fresh and constant ventilation
• Working in a new building which has been built to be airtight
• Poor or defect HVAC systems (combined heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems found in commercial buildings)
• Lingering strong odours are a sign of poor ventilation

Interior Factors

The risk of SBS is increased through these groups of factors:

• Constantly low or high levels of humidity and extremes in room temperature
• Humidity and temperature levels which rise and fall quickly
• Draughts

• Fumes from open fires, stoves and un-vented portable propane, diesel, gas or paraffin heaters
• Tobacco smoke
• Chemical cleaning agents
• Adhesive, solvents
• Pesticides
• Carbon dioxide that you and everyone around you exhales
• Printers, photocopiers, faxes, computers and other electrical equipment
• Machinery
• Upholstery, furnishings, carpets and rugs
• Paint and surface finishes
• Synthetic materials
• Furniture
• Open filing and shelving
• Chemically treated timber
• Artificial lighting (causing glare, reflection and flickering
• Dust
• Lack of cleanliness
• Disrepair and maintenance
• Being unable to control heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and lighting in your working environment
• Poor workstation layout and positioning
• Constant work with display screens
• Routine, low paid work
• Low staff morale
• Unsatisfactory working conditions
• Number of employees per working environment (10 + workstations in one office as recommended by WHO)
• Noise

Exterior Factors

Fumes from exterior heating systems, air-conditioning systems and vehicle emissions can be drawn into your building through:

• Plumbing and building vents
• Poorly positioned air intake vents and windows

Biological Factors

Found in wet or damp areas such as air-conditioning systems, ducts, plumbing services and humidifiers, these factors breed and spread to increase the risk of SBS.

• Viruses
• Mould
• Bacteria
• Pollen

Prevention

There is no quick fix to preventing or reducing SBS as each building is different. The basic areas you can check into to find the source of the problem and your SBS symptoms are:

Natural Ventilation

Although not possible in all buildings, natural constant and fresh air ventilation is the best way to reduce the risk of SBS. See more tips and ideas in my article on ventilation in the natural environment section

Mechanical Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems

• Check the system is functioning regularly
• Get the system service regularly
• Clean the system regularly
• Replace filters regularly
• Check the position of exterior air vents – are these by the road or located near to any building vents?

Cleanliness

• Replacing water stained carpet, wall finishes and ceiling finishes
• Regular surface cleaning and removal of dust
• Use of non toxic and non chemical cleaning agents

Household duties

• Use of non toxic and non chemical paints, solvents, adhesives and pesticides

If you must use products that contain chemicals then try to limit the damaging effects:

• Safe storage and disposal of chemical paints, solvents, adhesives and pesticides
• Sufficient ventilation when using chemical paints, solvents, adhesives and pesticides

Remove Pollutants

• Stop smoking!
• When buying new furniture or furnishings; search for those made from natural products or with non toxic and non chemical additives
• Replace old equipment and machinery such as photocopiers printers

Lighting

• Use as little artificial light as possible
• Position desks and areas where high illumination levels are needed by the window
• Keep all windows free from obstruction
• Read my articles on natural light and artificial light which provide more ideas and tips for good lighting

Sick Building Syndrome - What to do next

A range of specialists can help you if symptoms continue in your workplace (e.g. building service engineers of occupational hygienists). Your company may already have measures in place, check with your manager.

As with all symptoms, please seek medical advice from a doctor.

Alternatively, please contact us for expert advice on Sick Building Syndrome, interior air quality and how to improve your own health and wellbeing through redesign and refurbishment of your home or workplace.