Offices & Buildings:

Sick Building Syndrome

There’s more than just cleaning your desk surface or examining how hygienic your phone receiver is to realize you’re working in a clean and healthy office environment. People with 9-5 jobs spend most of their days in their offices but they’re usually far too busy to worry about cleanliness in their work surroundings. On the other hand, most people who work in large office buildings have little control over their workplace air quality. More than making sure that the basic cleaning tasks such as vacuuming the floor and emptying the trash are done, you should be concerned about the air you breathe while you’re working. And the same problem exists in schools, factories and other organizations where millions of people work every day.

If the air in a building is not properly ventilated and circulated by the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, poor indoor air quality occurs. That’s when people start manifesting acute health symptoms or discomfort after spending extended periods of time in their offices. Headaches, cough, dizziness, eye, nose and throat irritation, difficulty in breathing and concentrating are all symptoms related to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), what some studies identify as symptoms caused by poor indoor air quality in the working environment. The building design or activities taking place inside the rooms may explain the poor indoor air quality.

Equipment, decoration and cleaning products are the main sources of air pollution in offices and buildings. In working rooms usually there are several computers running and dispersing dust through their vents and printer toners in the air. Office equipment such as copy and blueprint machines can be a source of ammonia, VOC's and excessive ozone emission, particularly if they need maintenance. It’s advisable to place these devices in well-ventilated areas if possible and see that they are serviced on a regular basis.

On the other hand, drapes, carpeting, paneling, particleboard and upholstery can emit formaldehyde and other strong-smelling volatile organic compounds (VOC's). Carpets can trigger allergies and asthma due to reaction to the installation glue or the carpet itself. Adhesives, upholstery, and office equipment, as well as combustion products from gas stoves and fireplaces may contribute to poor indoor air quality as well.

If dust and dirt can easily add up over time and start to affect the cleanliness of the workspace, cleansers and air fresheners can all release toxins into the air so they should be stored correctly and used only when necessary and according to manufacturer’s strict instructions.

The solution to deal with SBS is to use a good air purifying system. With an air purifier you’ll save money in cleaning products and you’ll be “taking care of your business”. If you’re a concerned employee, you can certainly try to influence the purchasing decision of an air cleaner by reminding your employer that having people out sick certainly isn’t good for the company.

Recommended Models

Just like at home, HEPA air purifiers are an essential component to maintaining an allergen free and healthy office building. Medical grade HEPA air filtration systems remove 99.97% of particles and contaminants from the air, and are the best solution to this problem. IQAir devices equipped with HyperHEPA filter are highly used in hospitals, medical offices, and laboratories around the world. The IQAir HyperHEPA filter traps microscopic airborne allergens and impurities. The Allergen 100, HealthPro 150, HealthPro 250 and Perfect 16, which are the IQAir room air purifiers recommended for allergy and asthma sufferers due to high level of plug-and-play air purification, are equally effective to prevent SBS.

The Allergen 100 features the same advanced micro- and nano-particle filter technologies as the HealthPro models, but in a compact design that makes it more suitable for small apartments and offices. The Allergen 100 efficiently withdraws every kind of particulate air pollutant with the same ultra high efficiency as the larger models, including all common allergens and types of dust. (The Allergen 100 cleans a home or apartment up to 75 m², just like the larger HealthPro 250.)

The HealthPro series is equipped with the latest filtering technologies in the air purifying industry. These air purifiers have a HyperHEPA filter able to trickle down particles out of the air that are 0.01 microns and larger. They also have a 3D seal in order to be sure all the air inside the room is being filtered.

The IQAir Perfect 16 offers the highest level of whole-house air purification available. The professionally installed system works in conjunction with the home's central heating or air conditioning system. The Perfect 16 is the world's first MERV 16 rated whole-house air purification system. It is capable of reducing airborne allergens in the entire home by 90 - 95%.