Editor's Note: This is the second part of a three-part series on "Sick Building Syndrome." Click here to read Part I:
The Law of Unintended Consequences Strikes

Think about the last five times you were on an airplane. In the days following those trips, did you get a cold? I took an informal poll of family and friends, and the majority of those I asked this question answered with a resounding, "Yes!"

Why does this happen? Conventional wisdom says the recirculation of sneezed-in and coughed-on air on an airplane leads to the rampant spreading of germs among fellow passengers.

Now take the same concept and apply it to your office building. Except add more factors than just your co-workers -- fumes from the copy machine and loading dock, bacteria and fungus from the air conditioning ducts and carpet, etc.

This list is a long one.

So whether building owners and managers believe sick building syndrome is a legitimate complaint most of the time it is claimed or not, precautionary measures should be taken to prevent problems from occurring and comfort buildings’ daily residents.

Why take such precautions? Protection from litigation and workers’ compensation claims stand out as a primary concern.

Workers may file a workers’ compensation claim against their employer, said John Newton, a partner at the Florida law firm of Berger Davis and Singerman, L.L.C.

If their employer does not own the building, employees may bring actions for damages against the building owner, building contractor or management company, Newton said.

"If people complain, treat them with respect and take the problem seriously," he said. "How you treat people when they have a complaint has a lot more to do with the result of the situation than how severe the complaint is. If you treat them like they’re wacky and blow them off, you’ve ignored important information and created an antagonist when you could have built an advocate."

Not to mention the problems of lower work attendance and lower productivity if your building does have a problem. So how do real estate professionals keep their buildings healthy?

It starts with the construction phase. Some examples are obvious.

Don’t put air intakes in garages or on busy streets by stop lights. Have copy centers ventilated to the outside so their fumes are not circulated throughout the building.

"If your building is sealed up, you have a potential problem," Newton said. "If your air is coming from somewhere you wouldn’t want to stand and breathe for 20 minutes, you’ve got a potential problem."

Once the building has been constructed, a regular maintenance program must be put in place.

"Building health is influenced by several sources," said Alan Barnes, Sr., president and CEO of Aircond Corporation in Atlanta. "Examples are outdoor pollution, indoor growth of mold/mildew, off-gassing from carpeting/upholstery and CO2 from occupants.

"A building’s HVAC system can be both a cause and a solution to the problem. Therefore, a well-maintained HVAC system is critical, and a well-qualified HVAC service company can be a good resource to perform a survey to look for problems, recommend action, and implement the solutions."

Maintenance plans should include regular monitoring of building performance, said Alan Hedge, a professor in the department of design and environmental analysis at Cornell University.

Monitoring plans, Hedge said, should include:

Published: January 21, 1999

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