Sick Building Syndrome: Causes and Solutions

There is a growing recognition amongst the construction industry for the need for more healthy buildings. With individuals spending significant periods of time indoors at work, buildings can have a profound impact on a person’s health. Following the outbreak of coronavirus, people are concerned now more than ever before about how buildings are impacting occupants' health.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) refers to feelings of discomfort and a variety of symptoms experienced from spending extended periods within a building. It is most prevalent in certain types of buildings, particularly offices and workspaces with poor ventilation.

The occurrence of SBS can have a significant impact on a business, with increased employee absenteeism levels and high turnover rates often developing as a result.

Is sick building syndrome affecting your business? Read our guide to find out more about the causes of this and the potential solutions available.

What is SBS?

SBS refers to a building’s occupants experiencing acute health issues, linked to the time they spend in a building. Issues may be limited to a specific area or can be spread across the whole building.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can have a profound impact on an individual’s productivity levels and overall wellbeing. While SBS most commonly occurs in large open plan offices, it can affect a wide range of buildings including schools and hospitals.

With SBS, no specific cause or illness can be identified. Symptoms vary from inexplicable fatigue, nausea, and headaches, to eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as respiratory issues. Symptoms can occur individually or collectively, and typically subside at the end of the day upon leaving a building. While the symptoms experienced may sound mild, the long-term effects of SBS can be severe.

Causes of Sick Building Syndrome

SBS is a significant issue for both employers and commercial building owners, who have a legal requirement to ensure employees and building occupants are kept safe. Despite this, IEQ can often be overlooked as no root cause for SBS has been identified. Instead, it seems that a number of factors may attribute to its occurrence.

Potential contributory factors include:



1. Insufficient Ventilation: Poor ventilation, which can occur if heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are not effectively distributing air throughout a building, can prove damaging to occupants’ health and is believed to play a role in SBS.
2. Extreme Temperatures & Humidity Levels: Occupants that experience extreme temperature variations throughout the working day are more likely to experience SBS. In addition, those who encounter very low humidity levels will often experience discomfort and likely feel better once they have exited a building.
3. Poor Lighting: Inadequate artificial lighting within buildings with no exposure to natural lighting is thought to be linked to SBS.
4. Building Materials: A building’s materials may release toxic gases and vapours across their lifecycle, which can be harmful if inhaled. 
   

Solutions

1. Upgrade HVAC Systems

The HVAC systems in place must be designed to meet ventilation standards. Routine maintenance inspections of these systems should be conducted regularly to ensure ventilation levels remain sufficient.



Upgrading HVAC systems by installing measures such as air source heat pumps and mixed-mode ventilation systems ensures good indoor air quality (IAQ) through sufficient ventilation with filtration while offering thermal comfort. 

2. Air Cleaning

3. Building Materials

Summary