Poor Air Quality
Being Investigated
Poor air quality causes a variety of problems for the human
body. According to the EPA, these conditions range from eye, nose and throat
irritation to headaches, dry cough, dry skin, nausea, and fatigue. Statistics
for the last ten years show more than 3,000 people per year die of asthma related deaths(more than 8 people per day). Long-term contact with bad air has
been proven to cause long-term damage to the body. The CDC has identified
thousands of sick buildings throughout the United States, ranging from
apartments to warehouses. These are buildings where many people become ill and
the only link to the illness is the building.
In the workplace, sometimes indoor air quality can be
questionable, and OSHA is beginning to look into what can be done to improve
air quality to prevent some of the injuries being reported due to asthma or
other air quality related diseases. These diseases are being called injuries if
they could have been prevented by an employer.
Occupational asthma is the most commonly reported on-the-job injury in
developed countries. There are over 200 identified allergens found commonly in
workplace air. Limiting the quantity of these allergens in the air is important
to reducing the impact on employees who suffer from Asthma.
The State of Oregon implemented a study to see how much
fresh air is being provided to buildings and how that air is being provided.
Schools and government offices were the buildings they had the most access to
so that is where they started. They put CO2 detectors in rooms to see what
happened throughout the day. Many room raise above acceptable limits in the
afternoon when they have been filled to capacity for 6 hours or more. This
could be why some people in these situations get very groggy in the afternoon,
not life threatening but impacting body functions.
As a result of the preliminary findings of the study, Oregon
Building Codes have adopted changes to bring fresh air into buildings. The
Energy Trust is offering rebates for some commercial buildings to make these
improvements. SERVCO is working with
Energy Trust to make sure all of our commercial customers know about the new
fresh air requirements and results of the studies done recently.
Indoor air quality isn't just a concern at the workplace.
Please click on all of the above links to learn more about poor indoor air quality and how it could affect you and your loved ones. If you have any questions, please contact Servco by e-mail or call us at (541) 451-5090.
