Staff members calling in sick can be a disaster for any business, but particularly for a small business that doesn’t have enough manpower to cover an absent employee’s workload. Your business establishment is one of the top sources, though there are countless scenarios that lead to your employees getting ill. Among other issues, lack of efficient cleaning can result in the spread of germs. While they are working in the office, employees sharing identical symptoms such as sinus infection, itchy eyes, or headaches, however, after they leave for the day or weekend the symptoms clear up, the workplace is likely what is making them sick. This could be what is known as sick building syndrome (SBS), and we at Busy Bee Cleaning & Janitorial Service would like to further explain sick building syndrome.
What Causes Sick Building Syndrome?
A condition where symptoms of illness or feeling sick for no obvious reason are being experienced by occupants in the same building is sick building syndrome. The symptoms can be more severe among the people that spend more time in the building and are frequently linked to the time spent on the building, but while they are away from it, they show improvement. There is other building-related illness that sick building syndrome shouldn’t be confused with. While SBS is used as a general term when people are undergoing different symptoms, building-related illness describes the patients experiencing allergic reactions and symptoms.
How Do You Know if You have Sick Building Syndrome?
Symptoms include:
– Fatigue
– Dry cough
– Sneezing
– Poor concentration/memory
– Muscle pain
– Stuffy nose
– Sore throat
– Headaches
Poor Ventilation in Building
Generally, older buildings have poor air ventilation. Circulating indoors include carbon monoxide and other harmful elements such as styrene and benzene produce bacteria and dangerous microorganisms, which attacks the respiratory that manifests visible signs of ailment. For every person in the building back in the early 1900s, the standard building ventilation was about 15 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air. To reduce and eliminate body odors is why this was implemented primarily. Cutting it to 5 cfm of outside air per person in the 1973 with oil embargo, the standards changed. These minimized outdoor air ventilation rates as they were deemed to be sufficient for the comfort and health of people. Inadequate ventilation can be the reason that cause SBS.
Outdoor Chemical Contaminants
Exterior pollutants, like exhaust and plumbing vapors, can still enter the office should your intake vents be poorly situated. Also, windows and other openings can let these pollutants. Combustion items can get inside a building from nearby garages as well.
Indoor Chemical Air Pollution
The volatile organic compounds can circulate inside and affect the health of your office workers from cleaning agents and carpeting. Environmental cigarette smoke emits high levels of volatile organic compounds causing acute health problems and even cancer.
Biological Contaminants
Mildews, germs, molds, and other viruses may grow stagnant water that has been collected in drain pans, humidifiers, or any place where water collects. A few symptoms linked to biological contamination include tightening of the chest, fever, and muscle pains.
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Services in Hamiltons Fort, Hurricane, Ivins, Santa Clara, Washington, Cedar City & St. George, UT
If you suspect sick building syndrome is present in your building call Busy Bee Cleaning & Janitorial Service today to schedule your commercial building cleaning services.
