| Create your own Climate Change. | | | | Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE), are "usually acute |
| The Sick Building Syndrome | | | | such as headaches and eyes and nose irritations" 1. |
| Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a relatively new | | | | Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) is just one prominent |
| phrase in the vernacular of facility operations and | | | | affliction resulting from a sick building. ARI is a major |
| management. | | | | concern for all health facility operators |
| SBS is a result of internal toxic emissions, toxic | | | | The longer term impacts of living in a chemically |
| materials, poor daylighting, heating, cooling and | | | | induced environment are yet to be established. But |
| inefficient or outdated operational practices affecting | | | | there is compelling evidence as to the costs of SBS |
| the internal environment of your facility or residence. | | | | (see below) |
| Remember the old lead paints? They were an | | | | The World Health organisation, (WHO) 2004 says |
| example of a toxic product living in your building. The | | | | SBS affects:o 1.34 million U.S. office buildings |
| good thing is, our 'unhealthy' building is curable. We | | | | (OSHA)*o 20 million U.S. workers daily (OSHA)o |
| can heal our 'sick' building. | | | | 20-35% of workers in modern buildings (EPA)*o |
| A sustainably designed building is not sick. It will have | | | | Costs California about $6 billion annually (LBL)*o The |
| cured the illness! A sustainable building, by definition, | | | | EPA (USA) said of healthy buildings in 2005:o Healthy |
| must be healthy to live in. | | | | buildings can reduce illness and costs |
| As with the climate change issue, many in the past | | | | So what do we do about SBS? |
| have been tempted to view the issue of SBS as an | | | | Committing to a sustainable approach to your building |
| 'invention of the tree huggers.' But like climate | | | | design and operations is the first major strategy in |
| change, the evidence for SBS can no longer be | | | | the war against SBS. |
| ignored! | | | | The ASHRAE Journal article by Bill Fisk, 2003, details a |
| What causes sick building syndrome? | | | | "drop of between 23-76% in ARI in sustainable |
| There are many components that makeup 'SBS' and | | | | buildings." |
| the emissions from these components contain many | | | | The benefits of this approach are applicable to new |
| dangerous chemicals. Emissions can come from lack | | | | or refurbished buildings. In a new building the |
| of fresh air through poor ventilation strategies to | | | | performance requirements of glazing, daylighting and |
| materials that emit cancer causing chemicals such as | | | | ventilation are important considerations. Toxic |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs ),like toluene, | | | | emissions can be controlled by correct material |
| emitted by paints or materials such as carpets, | | | | selection, installation and operation procedures. |
| laminex or particle board timbers, glues, curtains, | | | | Refurbished buildings receive benefit as well. When |
| plasterboards etc. Organic acids are also a major | | | | renovating you are generally going to remove and |
| contributor to SBS. These are found in carpets and | | | | replace heating, cooling, lighting and materials so sure |
| linoleums as well as glues etc. PVC found in pipes etc | | | | to specify the low toxic and efficient versions. These |
| tends to be a long time emitter of chemicals. Don't | | | | will reduce your poor internal environment quality |
| forget the moulds found in all different parts of the | | | | while improving efficiencies.o In addition the costs of |
| building like air conditioning ducts and poorly ventilated | | | | these materials or systems are generally equal to or |
| laundries etc. | | | | not much more expensive than the traditional toxic |
| In addition there are important issues such as higher | | | | product. Certain manufactures now offer low or non |
| or lower indoor air temperatures, reduced daylighting, | | | | toxic paints, floor coverings, curtains, laminex, Particle |
| increased air conditioning, poor water quality and | | | | boards etc in addition to PVC-free pipes and fittings. |
| overall low levels of comfort found in a non | | | | The range of these materials is increasing. It is |
| sustainably designed facility. | | | | important to also remember the measurable financial |
| Odours and pathogens are also a contributor to SBS | | | | benefits gained from curing SBS in your facility. (See |
| and obviously have more impact in a Health facility | | | | table below)o Estimated annual staff productivity |
| such as an Aged Care or Hospital facility. | | | | increase by $30 - 150 billiono 10 - 30% reduction in |
| Then of course we have all the chemicals we wash | | | | respiratory diseaseso 20 - 50% reduction in SBS |
| our clothes or utensils in. We place these chemicals | | | | symptomso .5 - 5% improvement in office worker |
| next to our skin, breathe them in or ingest them | | | | performanceo $17 -$ 43 billion annual health care |
| through using our utensils. | | | | savingso $12 - $125 billion direct increase in worker |
| How much chemical residue is left on our plates and | | | | productivityo (WHO ,2004) |
| cups after washing up? | | | | So where to from here? |
| How serious is the problem of SBS? | | | | The process of designing and constructing any facility |
| Sick Building Syndrome is a major and growing issue | | | | whether it is new or refurbished, involves certain |
| on two principal fronts - firstly the measurable health | | | | milestones that must be adhered to. In the case of a |
| impacts on those people living and working in the | | | | sustainable building, the first milestone is to decide |
| 'sick' buildings; and secondly because of the flow on | | | | you require a sustainable outcome from your facility. |
| effect these issues have for productivity and bottom | | | | The next step is to accept SBS exists and then |
| line business viability. Why are we treating patients | | | | investigate and discuss the numerous solutions to the |
| with cancer in hospitals where the environment of | | | | SBS issue. The outcomes from this process, if well |
| the hospital is full of cancer causing chemicals? | | | | coordinated and managed, provide the design |
| In a report from 2005, the Green Building Council of | | | | backbone for a sustainable building outcome that is |
| Australia cited over 1000 reports from around the | | | | comfortable and healed from SBS. |
| world attesting to the importance of SBS and its | | | | A healthy building. |
| negative impact on the inhabitants of buildings. The | | | | *OSHA -Office of Safety and Health Administration, |
| Environmental Protection Agency, USA, rates SBS as | | | | USA |
| "one of the top 5 health issues of the 21st century". | | | | *LBL -Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, USA |
| (EPA, 2003) | | | | *EPA- Environmental protection Agency. USA |
| The EPA (USA 2005) indicates the internal building | | | | *ASHRAE -American Society for Heating |
| environment is 10-90% more toxic than the external | | | | ,Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. |
| environment! Surely important when people spend | | | | 1. Fisk, Bill (2003). "How IEQ Affects Health, |
| over 90% of time indoors! (CSIRO, 2005) | | | | Productivity"; Journal of the American Society for |
| Symptoms of SBS, as cited in the Journal of the | | | | Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. |
| 'American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air | | | | |