A lack of ventilation/lack of fresh outdoor air. Common contributors to sick building syndrome, according to OSHA, include: To improve your indoor air quality, you need to understand what may have gone wrong. Generally the farther you get away from a contaminant the less potent the reading will be. For example, is the carpet emitting VOCs? Place the sensors right on the carpet to see how VOC levels are impacted. If your testing does reveal problems, you can also use the sensors to further hone in on the culprit. In some cases, SBS may be localized, caused by something specific nearby, or it may be a problem everywhere. Test on different floors of your building and in different locations. Humidity should be below 60%-preferably somewhere between 30% and 50% to avoid sick building syndrome, according to the EPA. High humidity -Mold can begin to form as a result of high humidity also, the rate at which chemicals are released from building materials is usually higher at higher building temperatures. About 700 parts per million (ppm) above outside air levels (usually about 1,000 to 1,200 ppm) is recommended. Carbon dioxide (CO2) -Moderate to high levels of CO2 can have a negative impact on occupants’ health, causing nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Anything over 500 ug/m3 is outside the recommended parameters for indoor air quality. Typical sources of VOCs indoors include things like building materials, furniture, cleaning agents, disinfectants, air fresheners, dehumidifiers and more. VOCs are organic chemicals emitted as gases from products or processes for the most part, you can smell their presence. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) -These are the main contributors to poor indoor air quality. (The EPA recommends one sensor for every 10,000 square feet.) Sensor measuring will reveal certain air quality characteristics that contribute to sick building syndrome cases, specifically: Advanced technology has brought down the cost of indoor air quality testing by creating smaller, less expensive sensors you’ll need enough to place them strategically throughout your building to produce reliable results. If you suspect your building might have an issue, you can find out more about your air quality using IoT sensors. But if 20% or more of the occupants have issues like these while inside the building-and their symptoms generally ease when they are elsewhere-it’s wise to investigate the possibility that your facility’s indoor air is not up to par. #Sick building syndrome mold skin#
With the symptoms of SBS ranging from watery eyes, itchy skin and dizziness to nausea, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath (and many things in between), it can be a challenge to know whether the building is the problem. Diagnosing Sick Building Syndrome With IoT So how can you improve the indoor environmental quality of your building? Many building managers are starting to employ IoT to help keep sick building syndrome at bay. (Not to mention how a “sick building” label would detract from your company or property’s appeal.)
Not only is SBS a detriment to public health, but it’s also bad for business, severely impacting the productivity of your employees. After spending nine or more hours at a time daily in a building with bad air quality, it’s no wonder people get sick.Įvery facility manager and landlord should be keenly aware of the potential for “sick building syndrome” (SBS)-a term used to describe the plight of building occupants who suffer physical ailments as a result of spending time in affected buildings-and ways to prevent it. In countries like the U.S., pollutants are often produced by human activities and exacerbated by the buildings we spend the most time in, like offices and apartment complexes. While the words “air pollution” often make people conjure up images of smog over a busy highway, it’s becoming increasingly clear that indoor air is also problematic.
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