How do you know if your work bldg is "sick"?

[Kimberle]

I started a new job about 6 weeks ago, and I have a non-stop cough and congestion in my lungs. (not real sevear, but bad enough to be annoying.) Until now, I've always been VERY healthy, rarely getting a cold or anything worse.

Everyone around me is "hacking" non-stop too (we sit in a war-pit type setting). The building is very old, and not well maintained. There have been many water leaks which were not fixed well at all. I wonder what mold, etc. is growing under the walls and cealings. Or it could be that because it is so open, germs spread much quicker.

 

[gallaj0]

Generally, older buildings are LESS likely to be "sick" than newer buildings. Sick building syndrome is caused by:

1. a lack of fresh air entering, and stale air being exhausted from the building. This is usually found in newer buildings sealed tightly for energy efficency, and a lack of fresh air brought in, also for energy efficency.

2. interior pollutants. Most interior pollutants are from NEW synthetic materials "offgassing". New carpet, plastics, cubical parts, etc.

3. Mold. mold can be found anywhere, but it needs a couple of things to grow: a constant source of moisture, an organic material to feed on, and the right temperatures.

4. symptoms go away when you are not in the building. Sick building syndrome happens in the affected area. Once you are removed, the symptoms go away.

I would be more inclined to think it's the war-pit setting; either people passing germs around, or possibly chemical sensitivities; perfume, cologne, fabric softener.

 

[Lyn5]

In our building, it is an older building that at one time did have great air circulation (before my time), but then it was retrofitted to have AC in it. We had mold and fungus problems...a few people had complained and then our employer was forced to hire professionals to do testing. That is how we found out. They cleaned up whatever needed to be done and now they have someone come out every year, I think, and do testing.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Our old County building has mold problems and employees with respiratory problems.They had water leakage problems to cause the mold.

Our town library had a basement flood and now is so moldy smelling it makes my eyes water.

My last job was an old building and everybody had frequent coughs. It was called (the company name) cough.

20 years ago a coworker developed one of the early chemical sensitivity problems. The building was old but the office area was remodeled. New carpeting, new cubicle dividers, new paint. Two coats of one color first and then two coats of a different color because they didn't like the first color. My coworkers eyes looked like pinwheels.

 

[Valentine]

I had those same symptoms for a while and I thought it was my office... turns out it was my old apartment .. or more specifically, the bedroom in my old apartment.... I was FULL of Mold... It was horrible!! Mold is a Terrible thing.. and it causes many more problems than most people think.. and can often be invisible... so you don't realize what it is doing to you...

Good luck!! I feel your pain.. there was no worse feeling than that!!

 

[Kimberle]

Thanks, everybody. I was hoping there was some kind of a "quick test" I could quietly do. Since I'm new, I don't want to make to much of a "stink". I don't think it's perfumes, etc. since several people are allergic and out of respect, noone wears them. (Plus, they've never bothered me before.)

Hopefully, I'll be able to figure it out eventually.....

 

[piratesmate]

I had problems with the building when I worked. I had a cough that sounded like I was "coughing up a lung" according to the VP. My doctor didn't take it seriously until my boss kicked me out of a status meeting because the cough medicine didn't help & drinking water didn't help - I was in danger of losing my job over it.

Anyway, he finally prescribed Claritin to "see if it helps". I was surprised, but it really helped! After taking it every day for 2 years, the doctor suggested that perhaps I should get another job though. I talked to the VP & building manager about the "health" of the building but because they rented it they "couldn't do anything about it" - they refused to even disucss it with the building owner.

BTW - I only ever coughed while at work. Even over the lunch hour it would stop once I was away from the building.