Solutions to Indoor Air Quality Complaints in Office Settings

The quality of the air inside of offices, schools, and other workplaces is important not only for workers’ comfort, but also for their health, reports the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, OSHA warns that poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.

There are also some specific diseases that have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma associated with damp indoor environments. OSHA shares that some exposures, such as asbestos and radon, do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer after many years.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demand for good IAQ in office buildings has emerged as a major issue. Unfortunately, EPA cautions that many office buildings have significant indoor air pollution sources. Some of the sources listed include:

• Furnishings
• Occupant activities
• Housekeeping practices
• Pesticide applications
• Microbial contamination

“Most people passionately demand to live and work in structures with good indoor environmental quality or IEQ, good indoor air quality or IAQ, and good water quality. But when asked to define what they mean by a good, they often stumble to articulate anything tangible,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “When assessing structures, it is important to ask four questions to clearly define the quality of the environment. We ask if the built environment is ambient, compliant, safe, and comfortable. And, then we investigate to find out.” Mr. Denis went on to say, “We measure if the indoor environment is ambient, which is to assess if occupying the building is similar to, or better than, simply standing outdoors. We assess the environment to determine if it is compliant with applicable regulations and recognized guidelines. We examine to determine if a structure is safe, which is to investigate if conditions indoors exist that are known to result in acute illness, chronic illness, or death. We ascertain whether the vast majority of people are comfortable, which is to determine if they satisfied with their perception of odors, temperature, humidity, and cleanliness indoors.”

At CSC, our experienced and qualified professionals, with access to the latest tools, instruments, and resources, provide comprehensive building inspections to assess and optimize IEQ conditions. We offer diverse testing and monitoring for constituents of concern like fentanyl, radon, mold, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, wildfire residues, and a wide range of hazardous and regulated substances, such as carbon monoxide, asbestos, and lead. In the event that an issue is discovered, our specialists can help to mitigate or oversee the elimination of the concern.

CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about indoor air quality complaints in the office that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/KKoF_ME944g

To learn more about this or other building science, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
Since 1996, CSC has helped clients in the public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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