Sick Building Syndrome: Is Your Office To Blame?

Poor air quality has made its way to the front pages of the news. Consistently you can find articles describing various pollutants alive and well in buildings and facilities all across America, ones that ultimately are making people sick.

Is there a reason to be concerned about how your building is impacted?

Overall, today’s buildings are being built and remodeled to provide top notch energy efficiency throughout. Windows are sealed and fresh air is scarce – all for the sake of trying to create a perfect environment on the inside of the building. And that’s when things start to happen.

High rises, particularly those over parking garages or loading docks, can take in carbon monoxide and carry it into the building through the fresh air intake vents. If smokers are close to the building, the air intake vent can breath it in. Printers and fax machines emit ozone. Chemicals can linger for days from cleaning and pesticide use both inside and outside the building. Add in building renovations as tenants move in and out, and you can include construction dust, paint fumes, and offgassing fumes from carpets and furniture, and very quickly you can have a complete chemical stew within your building.

Depending on your current HVAC equipment, it simply may not be pumping in enough fresh air to overcompensate for all that is happening with the air inside. And with people spending 8 hours a day, 40 hours per week or more in these conditions, things begin to happen. Headaches, nausea, dizziness, itchy eyes, allergies, and respiratory illnesses are among many problems being reported today.

Overall, experts have found two distinct types of problems: building related diseases, and sick building syndrome.

Building Related Diseases

Building related diseases are events that can be traced to one specific problem. Most illnesses in the workplace are simple cases of cold or flu. When one person brings it in, the disease can be spread throughout the office via the ventilation system.

If sickness seems to be spreading throughout the building, the first thing to consider is the speed at which it travels. If a cold or flu seems to be spreading in days or even weeks, it could simply be the virus is moving its way through the population in natural progression.  

Sick Building Syndrome

More common than illnesses are complaints that have no direct cause, and seem to last for long periods of time. People will complain of sick building syndrome symptoms – fatigue, headache, irritated eyes, itchy skin, etc. These symptoms will disappear when a person spends time away from the building, and reappear with prolonged activity within the building. And when a person visits the doctor, nothing can be detected, and little can be done to reduce their suffering. In some cases, the symptoms become so severe, a person cannot return to work within the building.

While a lot of research is being done on why sick building syndrome is on the rise, it’s still speculation on what the true cause really is. Some say it’s related to highly insulated buildings with lower inflow requirements of air through the ventilation system. Some blame it on simple problems with the humidity levels or adjusting heat levels. Some say it’s a combination of things, including offgassing from chemicals releasing into the air.

Whatever the cause, the best place to start to eliminate the problem altogether is focusing in on improving your air quality overall. And that begins with making sure your HVAC system, including your ventilation system, is at its optimal level all year through. 

The Benefits Of HVAC Upgrades

HVAC equipment is expensive. Chances are HVAC maintenance is a significant number in your annual budget allotment.

It can be difficult to justify replacement, especially when troubleshooting can find a solution to keep the old system in place for just a little while longer. Should you really spend large amounts of capital for new equipment, when a little repair work may keep it running for a few more months?

The decision can be a tricky one. It can be a fine line for a manager to determine the best solution for the situation. Upgrading can bring a lot of benefits including:

•  Enhanced efficiency
•  Greater occupant comfort
• Environmentally friendly equipment

It can also be one of the most difficult projects you take on. Every time you upgrade your HVAC equipment, there exists potential for:

• Workplace disruption
•  Unanticipated equipment challenges
• Building occupant discomfort

With a savvy implementation plan, you can set realistic expectations for the project from beginning to end, and use that to develop an open line of communication with everyone impacted by the decision and the constraints of the project.

The starting point is proper planning. Especially with an older HVAC system with a lot of retrofits in place, planning is key to making sure the project will run smoothly. Plan for the best case scenario; plan for the worst. Develop back up scenarios for any disruptions that may occur or impact the people working within your building. Also include a list of possible delays and how you will handle each problem, such as what if you have structural problems with the new equipment, or equipment is delayed or simply not available as you need it.

Rather than rushing a situation, you are far better off having back up plans in place before you remove the first piece of equipment. Make sure every impacted person and office understands the time commitment to upgrading the equipment, and has wiggle room for the just-in-case issues that may occur.

As you finalize your decisions, remember, the more parties involved in the planning, the more room for error. As a facility manager, it is important to coordinate activities of all parties involved. The more contractors you’ve had work on the system, provide feedback and give quotes, the more confusing the overall process can be. Especially if you have to communicate this feedback to upper management who may have the final say.

Trust is a big part of making the right decisions. If you understand the implications of running the HVAC system the old way versus upgrading it, and you trust the advice of the contractor you are working with, it can make pitching the cost and the benefits that much easier. 

6 Simple Reasons You Should Schedule An Air Conditioner Maintenance Appointment

Running a business is expensive. Every day there are new demands that have you deciding what to spend your money on. Rents go up. Operating expenses increase. And like any successful business owner, you do what you can to control costs and cut corners whenever possible.

With temperatures rising as summer nears, it’s time to start thinking of your air conditioning expenses once again. Whether your air conditioner is fairly new, or if it’s been around for a few years, you may be weighing your options on whether to have a maintenance check performed before the hot weather begins. Why is air conditioner maintenance so important anyway? Maybe you should take the “wait and see” approach.  

The simple truth is air conditioner maintenance isn’t a cost; it can save you money in the long run.

Lower energy bills

Your HVAC equipment is responsible for nearly half of your energy usage. And because your energy usage is probably one of your largest expenses, maximizing efficiency can provide you with huge savings. Studies show that a well maintained air conditioning system can retain up to 95 percent of its efficiencies. A clean, well optimized system will run less frequently and with shorter duration to maintain a cool, well-balanced office. Which means it will consume less power.

Fewer repairs

When you bring in a technician for an air conditioning maintenance appointment, they will have the opportunity to find potential problems before they grow in size. Small issues left undetected can quickly escalate, causing larger, more damaging probl

ems on a very quick basis. And when things escalate, the more expensive parts of your system may be impacted in the process, meaning a low cost part can quickly cost you a whole lot of money.

Increase the life span

When you regularly maintain your air conditioner, your overall system can run more efficiently from the beginning to the end. If the components aren’t working overtime because of dirt and grime, they can operate as they were intended to. Which means instead of breaking down and requiring even more maintenance, they will provide you with a full life.

Make your employees or tenants happy

Chances are one of the biggest complaints you receive from the people that work in your building has to do with being comfortable. They complain about being too cold when the air conditioner is working overtime, and being too cold when it doesn’t work at all. When a person is trying to warm up or cool down, they aren’t being as productive as they normally can be. By maintaining your air conditioner on a regular basis, it helps keep workplace temperatures consistent and comfortable overall.

Provide better air

If you neglect your air conditioner and don’t regularly repair and maintain your HVAC equipment, it can lead to serious health and safety concerns. Sick building syndrome can quickly appear as airborne mold and other contaminants make their way into the air. Because moisture can quickly accumulate in and around your air conditioning equipment, its very easy for these contaminants to begin impacting your air in a short period of time. And once they are in the air, they can quickly begin impacting the health of everyone inside the building.

As summer heat begins to move into our community, isn’t now the time to take a look at your existing equipment, and make sure it’s running as effectively as it can?

HVAC System And Preventing Mold

Mold can be caused by a variety of things within a commercial facility. Yet one all-too-common culprit is the HVAC equipment. The HVAC system is comprised of a variety of components, from piping to drip pans and more. Not only can mold quickly form on any of these pieces, it also provides the means to carry mold growth throughout the building.

Maintenance managers are often tasked with fixing things; when there’s a problem, its time to repair. But when it comes to maintaining the HVAC system and preventing mold, it takes more than just regular maintenance. It also requires understanding the ways in which mold spores can travel throughout the building. Water isn’t always contained where a spill takes place. Very quickly it can spread beyond, creating trouble in many places.

Indoor molds typically become a problem when they are visible and are amplified by the environment. To survive and grow, they need water, the right temperature, and food to grow on, such as drywall, carpeting, paper, fabric, wood, or furnishings. Once they begin growing, they increasingly become more difficult to contain, as the spores begin traveling everywhere. While you can try and kill them with fungicides, biocides and cleaners, if you use the wrong product, it won’t kill it at the source. And once its in the air, it can continue to fester and impact the air, both where the mold occurs, and where it travels to. And once mold complicates indoor air quality and tenants begin complaining of sickness, the real problems begin.

To avoid this problem altogether, proper design, installation and maintenance of the HVAC system should occur from the beginning.

• Coils and pans should be properly maintained, cleaned frequently, and provide proper sloping for efficient draining.
• Humidification and dehumidification equipment should be properly drained and maintained to avoid ductwork from remaining wet.
• Outdoor air dampers should be kept free from dust and debris.
•  Air filters should properly fit and be replaced on a regular basis. Make sure all air filters are high efficiency filters to ensure the highest level of filtration.
• Ductwork should be properly maintained and sealed at all times to restrict airflow to the proper areas, and avoid debris and moisture from accumulating where its not meant to be.
• Cooling towers should have proper water quality and chemical treatment to prevent microbial growth.
• Air intakes should be monitored based on location. If air intakes are near garbage cans, standing rain water, ponds, vegetation, or other organic matter, make sure the system is monitored and checked regularly to avoid releasing fungal spores into the air.

If you think you may have a problem with mold, or its been a while since you’ve had your HVAC system cleaned, repaired and checked for possible problems, schedule an appointment today.