What Is Sick Building Syndrome?
Sick building syndrome occurs when people within a building, or part of a building, fall ill in large groups. Occupants may experience common symptoms associated with the common cold, such as:
- Headaches
- Nasal congestion or runny nose
- Itchy eyes
- Itchy and reddish skin
- Sore throat
The Cause
How can a building make people feel sick? This could be due to a number of indoor environmental conditions. Even if the facility appears clean, it’s often what you don’t see that hurts you. Unseen factors include:
- High indoor humidity.
- Abnormally high temperatures and stuffiness.
- Poor indoor air quality due to insufficient ventilation or improperly maintained HVAC. The higher the building occupancy the more the need for adequate ventilation.
- Chemical residue. Seemingly harmless items, such as paint, glue, ink, and cleaning liquids, can all emit fumes that affect the air.
- Outdoor chemicals. Fumes from outside can make their way in. This includes emissions from passing vehicles, cigarette smoke, and vapors from e-cigs.
- Standing water. You may not notice visible pools of water. However, water may still be stagnating in one place or another. This may include, for example, dripping water from a refrigeration unit or weeks-old water from a humidifier’s drain pan.
We Improve Facility Air Quality
When your staff doesn’t feel well, they’re less productive. Contact us at All Points Heating for a checkup on your commercial HVAC system to see whether it may be the culprit. Our store development places heavy emphasis on a strong HVAC and ventilation system. Sick building syndrome is often a sign these components are not well maintained. We also do checkups on residential HVAC systems.
Sick Building Syndrome: Facility HVAC & Ventilation Maintenance in Woodinville
Serving Arlington, Renton, Bellevue, Seattle, Redmond, Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Everett, Marysville, Mill Creek, Woodinville, Kirkland & Mercer Island
Posted on October 11, 2021 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business