Six Ways Your Office Could Be Making You Sick

Do you often feel ill at work? Nausea? Headaches? Irritability? While stress may be the reason for your discomfort, there are other, more insidious threats lurking in our offices, some of them deadly. We spend on average about 90% of our time inside, and indoor levels of some common air pollutants can be up to 100 times those on the street. Other substances too are making us sick:

• Radon Gas This radioactive gas emanates from soil and rocks under buildings, and is the second biggest cause of lung cancer in the USA after smoking. It is odourless and colourless, typically entering buildings through cracks in the foundations. Ground floor and basement areas are of particular concern, especially if you live or work in an area with high radon levels. If so, check with your health and safety representative that testing has occurred and whether or not alleviation measures are in place. Actions such as ventilation can reduce levels of the gas by up to 99%, well within recommended limits.
• Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Particles of less than 2.5 μg across can be very damaging to our lungs and have the potential to cause lung cancer and cardiopulmonary problems. Indoor levels of PM 2.5 are directly correlated with those outdoors, and with the addition of cigarette smoke wafting in from smoking areas as well as smoke from any adjacent kitchens, they can be much higher than on the street. Opening windows to ventilate the office may not be an option, so installation of robust HEPA air purifiers or replaceable air filters in ventilation systems is recommended. Facility managers should also make sure smoking areas are situated well away from the office, preferably outside.
• Ozone "Good up high, bad nearby". Ozone is essential high up in the atmosphere, protecting us from harmful UV rays, but at ground level it is a serious health hazard, being a major constituent of photochemical smog. Less well known is that high voltage office appliances such as photocopiers and laser printers produce ozone, which can result in sensitive employees experiencing chest pain, breathing difficulties and eye irritation. Improving office ventilation, installing air purifiers (ozone-free ones!) and decorating the office with plants all help control the problem.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) These chemicals are present in the atmosphere, but indoor levels are typically 2 to 5 times higher than outside. Of most concern are benzene and formaldehyde, as these have serious health effects and are very common. Benzene is a known carcinogen, with the main indoor sources being tobacco smoke, paint supplies and stored gasoline. Store as little as possible of these, and when painting is taking place, vacate the office and ventilate the room. This advice also holds true for formaldehyde, which is present in paints, carpets, some clothes, and particle board furniture such as desks. Formaldehyde is a probable carcinogen, while less serious effects include red-eye, coughing and nausea. Increasing ventilation and decorating the office with plants all help reduce concentrations, as does installing carbon air purifiers. Facility managers should ensure they source low formaldehyde paints and particle board products.
• Mould Moulds are fungi which grow in warm and damp conditions. Mould results in spoiled furniture, ruined clothing and health effects such as asthma attacks and ear, nose and throat irritation. Some moulds produce substances called mycotoxins which can be lethal if inhaled or ingested. In fact, millions of doctor visits every year are caused by mould in the office or home. Stopping leaks, increasing ventilation, and using dehumidifiers will alleviate the problem.
• Water Chatting with colleagues at the water dispenser provides welcome stress relief during relentless working days, but it may be doing you more harm than good. A recent survey in the UK found that 25% of workplace water coolers had dangerous levels of bacterial contamination, including... faecal matter. Talk with your facilities manager to make sure water coolers are regularly cleaned, inside and out. Tap water is often not safe either, especially in developing countries, and lead contamination is a problem all over the world. Lead is particularly dangerous for children, and can cause irritability, fatigue, and high blood pressure in adults. Lead pipes have been banned for decades in most countries, but old buildings may still have them. Run the tap for a few seconds before drinking, only drink the water cold from the tap, and ask for lead testing of your office's water supply if you are concerned.

According to the World Health Organisation, around 7 million people died worldwide in 2012 as a result of air pollution, both indoor and outdoor. Senior managers have traditionally buried their heads in the sand concerning air and water quality in the office, but control measures for pollutants such as PM 2.5 are now becoming the norm for forward thinking companies in China and elsewhere. Without them, employees with any common sense will find somewhere else to work.