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"Sick Building Syndrome" in Office Workers
Illnesses of office workers arise mainly from stress, not from poor working conditions. More than 10 years ago, the term “sick building syndrome” appeared, which explained joint pain, irritability, fatigue, frequent headaches, insomnia, vision problems, allergies, coughing and other symptoms that occur in many office workers. To refer to the complex of these symptoms more than 10 years ago, the term "sick buildings syndrome" was introduced.
It was assumed that the problem lies in the poor sanitary and hygienic state of the building and the unhealthy microclimate of the office space, in particular, poor air quality, dustiness, improper temperature regime, low light. To assess the role of various factors in the development of “sick buildings syndrome”, scientists from University College London conducted a survey of 4,000 officials working in 44 London buildings. All participants were asked questions about the microclimate of the room, working conditions, stress level and atmosphere in the team. In addition, the researchers asked participants about the presence of certain symptoms, such as coughing or fatigue.
To assess the working conditions of officials in the offices were sent to the staff of the college, who made the necessary measurements, in particular, recorded the temperature and lighting of the room. The results of the study showed that 14% of the men surveyed and 19% of the women surveyed had five or more symptoms included in the “sick building syndrome”. Most often complaints occurred in people working in conditions of improper temperature, low humidity, high concentration of airborne bacteria, and excessive dustiness of the room. At the same time, poor ventilation, high concentrations of carbon dioxide and noise did not significantly affect the onset of the syndrome, the researchers said.
Despite the role of microclimate, the authors of the study concluded that stress and poor psychological environment play the most important role in the development of symptoms. According to scientists, the worst impact on the health of workers is reflected by excessive loads and unfavorable psychological situation in the team. Because of these factors, the term "sick building syndrome" is inaccurate and does not reflect the real situation, said study author Mai Stafford.
“We are not saying that the condition of buildings does not matter. But overall, the health of workers is more affected by stress and high demands, said Stafford. In conclusion, the authors noted that in general, the condition of the buildings they tested was relatively good; in rooms with poor sanitation conditions, the role of the microclimate may be more significant.
Source: ecowars.tv/
It was assumed that the problem lies in the poor sanitary and hygienic state of the building and the unhealthy microclimate of the office space, in particular, poor air quality, dustiness, improper temperature regime, low light. To assess the role of various factors in the development of “sick buildings syndrome”, scientists from University College London conducted a survey of 4,000 officials working in 44 London buildings. All participants were asked questions about the microclimate of the room, working conditions, stress level and atmosphere in the team. In addition, the researchers asked participants about the presence of certain symptoms, such as coughing or fatigue.
To assess the working conditions of officials in the offices were sent to the staff of the college, who made the necessary measurements, in particular, recorded the temperature and lighting of the room. The results of the study showed that 14% of the men surveyed and 19% of the women surveyed had five or more symptoms included in the “sick building syndrome”. Most often complaints occurred in people working in conditions of improper temperature, low humidity, high concentration of airborne bacteria, and excessive dustiness of the room. At the same time, poor ventilation, high concentrations of carbon dioxide and noise did not significantly affect the onset of the syndrome, the researchers said.
Despite the role of microclimate, the authors of the study concluded that stress and poor psychological environment play the most important role in the development of symptoms. According to scientists, the worst impact on the health of workers is reflected by excessive loads and unfavorable psychological situation in the team. Because of these factors, the term "sick building syndrome" is inaccurate and does not reflect the real situation, said study author Mai Stafford.
“We are not saying that the condition of buildings does not matter. But overall, the health of workers is more affected by stress and high demands, said Stafford. In conclusion, the authors noted that in general, the condition of the buildings they tested was relatively good; in rooms with poor sanitation conditions, the role of the microclimate may be more significant.
Source: ecowars.tv/
