Since 2000, real estate has outperformed the stock market approximately 2-to-1 — in large part due to the importance of commerical property. When most of us walk into the office each morning, we don’t expect to deal with a workplace injury or illness. That’s especially true if you don’t work in particularly dangerous conditions. Despite the fact that workers’ compensation law reforms made it more difficult for injured workers to obtain treatment and benefits back in 2004, most people who work the typical 9-to-5 in a cubicle may not give a second thought to the idea of becoming hurt on the job. But the reality is that simply spending all day in an office building could be harming your health.
That’s not merely the case if a coworker decides to come in when they have a cold. If your place of employment has what’s known as sick building syndrome, it’s possible that you may never feel totally healthy while you’re at work.
While it may sound like a made-up illness, SBS is an all too common experience for many Americans. In fact, experts estimate that sick building syndrome affects two out of every 10 employees. It’s best characterized as a collection of symptoms, which can include everything from headaches and dizziness to respiratory issues and nausea, that impact individuals only when they’re in the workplace. It’s attributed to poor air quality in shared spaces, so it’s no surprise that many office buildings likely have this problem. Since windows often remain closed, this means that the air inside re-circulates over and over again. New windows can lower energy bills. In fact, depending on where the building is located, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that you can save up to $501 a year by replacing old single-pane windows with new Energy Star approved models. And if dust, debris, mold, and allergens are allowed to accumulate in vents and ducts, employees have no choice but to breathe those contaminants in all day long. And although some workers may be more sensitive to these effects than others, it’s possible that you could be putting yourself at risk just by clocking in each day.
But despite the prevalence of SBS, it’s notoriously difficult to pinpoint. Even if an office looks totally tidy, it’s plausible that poor air quality could be a rampant issue. However, as is often the case, technology may provide a solution.
There are now IoT sensors that can allow business owners to gain more insight into the air quality within their building. Once these sensors are placed throughout the facility, they’ll measure the air quality and identify contributors to SBS, like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), and high humidity levels (which can contribute to mold growth). In a relatively short amount of time, business owners can obtain the information they need to confirm the presence of sick building syndrome. From there, they can take recommended actions to improve their building’s indoor air quality and the comfort and well-being of their employees. Considering that almost 38% of growing businesses plan in investing in RFID in the next 12 months, these IoT sensors could be next.
Since sick building syndrome can potentially increase worker absences and lower productivity, it’s a condition that should concern every employer. But fortunately, thanks to technological advancements, it’s now far easier to identify what’s causing your workers to feel ill or sluggish — and take the appropriate steps to fix it.
