Is Your Office Making You Sick? Health is the greatest asset that we can build upon all through life! Be it at home, in office or even outside, it is critically essential to ensure a healthy surrounding. While most of us pay attention to our home environment needs, the office is one place that usually goes unnoticed. Regular cleaning and maintenance are as essential for an office space as it is for the home. After all, we do spend a lot of productive hours within an office!
Unhealthy Office
So, what is an unhealthy office? While the dust on the desks and the floors may be cleaned every day, it’s the unseen dirt that is most harmful! The problem is unseen makes it easily ignored. Fine dust particles that settle on the furniture, mold building up on the furniture and the increased allergens in the HVAC system are some of the many unseen dirt. So, what are the common causes for an unhealthy office?
- Ignored plumbing leaks or roof damage can lead to toxic mold.
- Failure to regularly clean and maintain the heating ventilation and air-conditioning system, HVAC, will increase Allergens and ultrafine lung damaging particulate matter.
- Warehouse and light manufacturing toxins like heavy metals; Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) fumes can infiltrate the office space.
Particulate Matter
Fine dust particles and fumes often settle on the office furniture that adversely affects the environment within an office. This has known to be the most common reason for increased employee sickness and decrease in productivity.
Symptoms of an unhealthy office include:
- Headaches/ Illness/ Lethargy
- Sneezing or nose and throat irritation
As an employer it becomes one’s responsibility to provide a healthy and clean environment. That said, employees and office managers must demand regular air testing and cleanliness schedules to avoid building of such unhealthy environments.
Your immediate surrounding and environment has a direct influence on your health. The root cause of most allergies and health problems is unclean or unhygienic surroundings. While there may be other reasons, this is the most common. We spend most of our time at work or in office. We cannot control the air quality outside on the streets or in public places, but we can control it at our offices. Good indoor air quality is critical for good health and well-being. Secondhand smoke, Radon, carbon monoxide and nitrogendioxide are the most common air pollutants around us. The effects of these on our health are many and severe. Indoor air quality is a serious public health issue.
Health Issues Caused By Living Near an Airport
Air vents, carpets and furniture collect dirt overtime; it may be unseen but can contaminate the air and atmosphere around. The health of your employees is affected by the contaminated air. Also, closed, air-conditioned offices have become a major reason for failing health and diseases passed on from one employee to the other. Maintaining the cleanliness ultimately helps maintain the health of your employees too. Also, a clean environment propagates clean thinking and afresh energy in the people around. The atmosphere has more effect on a person than one imagines! It has been seen that employees who have a hygienic and clean environment to work in are more productive and work better as compared to people working in unclean and dirty environments.
Low Cost IAQ Meters Don’t Work
So, if you really want to know whether your office is healthy or unhealthy you need to see the signs shown by your employees and you yourself. If you are spending too much time making your office look clean on the surface and taking no efforts to clean it from within, you are putting yourself and your employees at harm. It’s not the dirt you see but the dirt you do not see that needs your attention. Your ventilation system, water system and all the interiors that need to be cleaned first. Your employees will not just appreciate such efforts towards deep cleaning but will also be able to work better with a healthier environment around them. Don’t let allergens and pollutants go unnoticed and unseen.
Remember, your office needs to provide a healthy environment for you to be able to work and offer your best! An unhealthy office only mars productivity and reflects poorly on your organizations and employee’s results.
