IAQ: Protect Workers from Risk and Keep Them Comfortable

What are the causes of unhealthful air? What are the effects on worker health and productivity? And what can you do to reduce the risk? 

What Is IAQ?

IAQ refers to the quality of the air inside buildings as represented by concentrations of pollutants and thermal conditions like temperature and humidity. These affect the health, comfort, and performance of people who work in those buildings. Light and noise are also considered IAQ factors.
According to EPA, air quality problems are a result of conditions including the following:

• The increase in chemical pollutants in consumer and commercial products.
• The tendency toward tighter building "envelopes" and reduced ventilation to save energy. (Envelope refers to the elements that make up the shell or skin of the building’s exterior.)
• Pressure to defer maintenance and other services in order to reduce costs.

Air quality may be influenced by a building’s site, design, renovations, maintenance of air-handling systems, occupant density, activities conducted in the building, and occupants’ satisfaction with their environment.

Many IAQ problems are associated with improperly operated and maintained heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Other contributors include moistures, radon, presence of outside pollutants, internal contaminants like cleaning and disinfecting supplies, and use of mechanical equipment.
Three Types of Pollutants
Indoor air pollutants fall into three basic categories: biological, chemical, and particle.

• Biological pollutants include excessive concentrations of bacteria, viruses, fungi, dust mites, animal dander, and pollen. These can result from inadequate maintenance and housekeeping, water spills, inadequate humidity control, condensation, or water introduced through leaks in the building envelope or flooding.

• Chemical pollutants are caused by emissions from products used in buildings. Examples are office equipment, furniture, wall and floor coverings, pesticides, and cleaning products. Other sources are accidental chemical spills, construction-related products, and gases that are by-products of combustion. Examples are carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide.

• Particle pollutants are solid or liquid, nonbiological substances light enough to be suspended in air. Among these are dust or dirt drawn in from the outside. Other particles are produced by activities that take place inside, such as construction, sanding, printing, copying, and operating equipment.

  Eyes, Nose, Throat … And More

  Health effects of poor IAQ vary widely and can be mistaken for symptoms of other conditions such as allergies, colds, the flu—and even stress.
  Among diseases linked to poor IAQ are asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs.
  Symptoms may include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; headache; dizziness; rashes; and muscle pain and fatigue. These typically disappear soon after exposure ends.
  Chemicals released from building materials can cause headaches, and mold spores may result in itchy eyes and runny noses in sensitive individuals soon after exposure.
  Cancer is the most commonly associated long-term health risk of exposure to indoor air contaminants. Long-term exposure to radon, asbestos, benzene, and tobacco smoke is linked to an increase in cancer risk.