CLEARING THE AIR: HOW INDOOR AIR QUALITY CAN AFFECT HEALTH

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The typical U.S. worker spends up to 90 percent of his or her time indoors, making exposure to indoor pol­lutants a growing problem.

The World Health Organiza­tion has estimated that as many as 30 percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide contain enough pollutants to make workers ill.

What kinds of contaminants can you find indoors? Specific pollut­ants include:

• chemicals off-gassed from materi­als in the office, such as new carpet, paint, toners and inks

• fumes from cleaning compounds

• excessive dust

• microbial contamination, such as molds and other microbes growing in the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems

• radon gas

• carbon monoxide, caused by combustion in an area with insuf­ficient ventilation.

Exposure to off-gassed chemi­cals and fumes can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the type of chemical, concentration and duration of exposure. Exposure to molds and other microbes can cause hypersen­sitivity pneumonitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma and Legionnaire's disease. Radon gas, a substance that occurs naturally as uranium in rock and soil decays, can seep from the ground into buildings. Breathing radioactive isotopes could cause lung damage and cancer. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause dizziness, fatigue, nausea, unconscious­ness and even death.

Improving indoor air quality and reducing or eliminating your employees' exposure to these dangerous substances, take two steps: source reduction and improved ventila­tion.

Source reduction requires finding sources of indoor pollution and eliminating, reducing or containing them. Steps you can take include:

• banning smoking indoors or near entrances (if your state or municipality doesn't already ban smoking in the workplace).

• disposing of trash and garbage promptly and properly.

• working with your building manager to re­duce or eliminate use of chemical pesticides and herbicides inside and out­side the building.

• selecting furnishings and finishes with mini­mal or no off-gassing. Common off-gassing culprits include carpeting, furniture and items made with particleboard or other com­posite materials, paints and varnishes.

• having cleaning services use nontoxic clean­ing supplies.

• reducing radon exposure, which varies with the geography of your area, by installing vapor barriers.

• checking sources of combustion, such as fur­naces, stoves and heaters for release of carbon monoxide. Many municipalities require buildings to have carbon monoxide alarms in addition to smoke alarms. As CO is color­less and odorless, a monitor or alarm can save lives.

• checking office supplies for toxicity and fumes. Glues, solvents, toners and other common sub­stances can release harmful fumes into the air. You can find substitutes, minimize their use or make sure workers using these substances do so in a well-ventilated area, with eye and nose protection, if necessary.

Improving ventilation. In modern office buildings with sealed windows, indoor air qual­ity depends on your HVAC system. To provide optimum ventilation:

• Do not block vents.
• Have an HVAC professional evaluate your system for airflow, filtration and damp­ness. Dampness in the ducts can allow the growth of mold, which can trigger allergies.
• Pay attention if more than one worker com­plains of eye, nose and/or throat irritation; coughs; headaches; fatigue; nausea or muscle pain – particularly if those symptoms disappear or improve when they leave the office. These symptoms could indicate an indoor air quality problem.

For more information on dealing with indoor air quality and other workplace health and safety issues, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program Department at Jenkins Insurance Group: (877) 860-7378.

Pest Control Operators of California
www.pcoc.org

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