 | Howard McDaniel is president and owner of Even-Temp of Wichita, Inc... Howard started Even-Temp of Wichita, Inc. in 1991. Even-Temp is a fully-licensed and bonded residential and commercial mechanical contractor in Wichita and the surrounding areas. Howard has been a member of the Kansas Cooling Contractors Association (aka K.C.C.A.) since 2001. He is also a member of the B.B.B. and Chamber of Commerce. Howard’s education includes graduate of Pittsburg vocational technical college and 5 years of schooling through the Local 171 Plumbing apprenticeship school. Howard built Even-Temp to what it is today. He started his business working many hours, night and day, by himself to a successful business with over 20 employees. Howard is an honest, fair and considerate business man, which is proven by the number of customers he has and by the number of them that have been with him for over 10 years. Howard can be contacted at his office at (316) 262-2277, fax at (316) 262-5366, or you can e-mail him at Howard@eventemp.com. |
Home Improvement
2007-12-01 10:04:00
Could it be “Sick Building Syndrome”?
We have had an extraordinary number of our employees get sick this Fall. For the longest time we just thought it was the flu. The other day I read about a company having a similar problem because of “Sick Building Syndrome”. What is this? What causes it?
“Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS) refers to those situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building. Over the next few issues, we will talk about what it is, its causes, its effects and some remedies.
Symptoms of SBS include:
headache
eye, nose, or throat irritation
dry cough
dry or itchy skin
dizziness and nausea
difficulty in concentrating
fatigue
sensitivity to odors
With SBS, the cause of the symptoms is not known. Most of the complainants report relief soon after leaving the building. In contrast, the term Building Related Illness (BRI) is used when symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be attributed directly to airborne building contaminants.
Symptoms include:
cough
chest tightness
fever and chills, muscle aches
The symptoms can be clinically defined and have clearly identifiable causes. Complainants may require prolonged recovery times after leaving the building. It is important to note that complaints may result from other causes. These may include an illness contracted outside the building, acute sensitivity (e.g., allergies), job related stress or dissatisfaction, and other psychosocial factors. Nevertheless, studies show that symptoms may be caused or exacerbated by indoor air quality problems. A committee of the World Health Organization estimates that as many as 30 percent of new or remodeled buildings may have unusually high rates of sick building complaints. While this is often temporary, some buildings have long-term problems which linger, even after corrective action. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that poor ventilation is an important contributing factor in many sick building cases. It is generally agreed that poor indoor air can adversely affect employee health and productivity. These costs to industry have been estimated to be in the “tens of billions of dollars per year” (Report to Congress on Indoor Air Quality, 1999). Improvements in the indoor air environment may substantially increase employee morale and productivity. Therefore, it is important to include indoor air quality controls in operation, maintenance, and energy conservation strategies.
