Blog

Are Your Employers Suffering from Sick Building Syndrome?

Do your employees always complain about reduced comfort and health concerns while they are at work? Are you hearing the same complaints all the time? A sick employee can cost your business lots of money. If you notice the same problems occurring on a regular basis, it might be a good time for you to determine why your employees are getting sick in the first place. For all you know, the problem is your building itself!

In case you don’t know it, sick building syndrome is believed to exist if at least 20% of your employees are experiencing the same symptoms and the symptoms go away once they are not at work. 

The following are the most common symptoms and signs of the sick building include the following:

• Watery, dry, irritated, or itchy eyes

• Throat tightness or soreness

• Nasal congestion 

• Unexplained rashes or dry and itchy skin 

• Acute discomfort or nausea and dizziness when at work

• Difficulty concentrating, lethargy, or headache 

Causes of Sick Building Syndrome 

Sealed windows, mold, humidity, temperature, and building ventilation can all be factors why your employees feel sick every time they are at work. The IAQ or indoor air quality has been a critical problem in buildings today because of the following:

• Inadequately or improperly maintained ventilation and heating systems 

• Sealed windows that reduce airflow 

• Increase in time spent inside and in the number of occupants of the building 

• Contamination due to construction materials, chemicals, paints, particle boards, glues, and others

• Deterioration of the fiberglass used in ducts 

How to Deal with Sick Building Syndrome

So, how should you address complaints in relation to sick building syndrome? Remember that as an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that your employees are safe and that your building doesn’t cause the issue. 

• Seek the help of a mold inspector to make sure that there are no mold issues that hide in the ventilation and walls. 

• Review your building’s lighting.  Flickering fluorescent lighting can be the cause of headaches and a generally low level of comfort at work. 

• Check the HVAC and ensure that there is enough airflow. You might also want to review the existing levels of VOC inside the workplace from the adhesives, paints, and carpets used all over the building. Outdoor pollutants may get in places where they shouldn’t be like air pollutants of industrial plants and car exhaust. 

• Hire the best janitorial Dallas that uses the best cleaning products to lower the VOCs inside the building. 

Employers are tasked to protect and maintain the safety and health of their employees when they are at work. They can ensure that complaints from employees, including injuries, accidents, and refusals to work are investigated appropriately. 

The best thing you can do to ensure that your employees don’t suffer from sick building syndrome is by working with complete commercial cleaning service in Dallas like Courtesy Building Syndrome Inc.