Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a poorly understood phenomenon where workers in particular office environments complain that they are experiencing a range of non-specific symptoms. These may include:
- Headaches.
- Fatigue.
- Loss of concentration.
- Eye and throat irritation.
- Shortness of breath.
- Skin rash.
- Dry skin.
- Itchy skin.
The symptoms usually resolve once the person who is experiencing them has left the building. Women are more likely to be affected by the symptoms of SBS than men.
Where does SBS occur?
SBS seems to only occur in certain types of buildings. It typically occurs in large open-plan offices with automated heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
What causes SBS?
Since the 1970s, researchers have been trying to identify a definitive cause of SBS. However, no cause has been identified yet.
Most experts believe that SBS could be caused by a number of factors working in combination. These factors may include:
- Poor ventilation.
- Low humidity.
- Airborne pollutants, such as dust, carpet fibres or fungal spores.
- Chemical pollutants, such as cleaning materials.
- Ozone produced by photocopiers and printers.
- Psychological factors, such as stress or poor staff morale.
Advice for employees
If you are concerned that your working environment is making you ill, it may be useful to talk to your colleagues to see if they are experiencing similar symptoms.
If SBS appears to be an issue in your workplace, you should raise it with your human resources (HR) representative or your local health and safety representative. Your employer has a duty of care to investigate the problem.
Opening windows, in order to keep the office well-ventilated with fresh air, may help to reduce the frequency and severity of your symptoms. Some people also find that keeping some houseplants on or around their desk can also help.
Employer’s responsibilities
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that employers should take the steps outlined below to investigate the possible causes of SBS:
- Carry out an employee survey to see if the occurrence of symptoms is higher than expected. The survey may also identify obvious causes that can be easily fixed, such as changing the workplace temperature.
- Check the general cleanliness of the building, including checking that the vacuum cleaners are working properly, are regularly emptied, and that their filters are clean.
- Check that cleaning materials are being properly used and stored.
- Check the general operation of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. Special attention should be paid to the fresh air supply system.
- Check the condition and cleanliness of air filters, humidifiers, de-humidifiers and cooling towers.
- Check the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system maintenance schedules, and whether these schedules are being properly followed.
Once the steps outlined above have been completed and any necessary actions have been taken, employers should carry out another employee survey to see if symptoms of SBS persist.
If SBS symptoms are still present, it will be necessary to carry out a more detailed investigation of the workplace environment, which can be done by a building services engineer or another similarly qualified consultant.