Headaches at Work? Sick Building Syndrome Could Be the Cause
Sick building syndrome (SBS) may sound like one of those nebulous conditions supported by questionable science. Far from it.
Sick building syndrome is, in fact, well defined and well documented—described as “a major occupational hazard” in peer-reviewed research, and a “growing problem in the United States and around the world.”
What is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)?
Sick building syndrome is a cluster of medical symptoms triggered by exposure to indoor air pollutants and directly linked to time spent in a specific building. The key indicator of SBS: symptoms improve or clear up once occupants leave the facility.
While symptoms vary from person to person, common signs include:
- Headaches (typically described as a dull “pressure on the head”)
- Fatigue and a general feeling of tiredness starting within hours of arriving at work
- Throat irritation, dry throat, and a stuffy or blocked nose
- Watery, irritated eyes
- Nausea and itchy skin
- Impaired memory and difficulty concentrating
SBS should be on the radar of anyone responsible for occupant health and safety. Whether managing a school, nursing home, healthcare facility, or commercial office, building leaders cannot ignore an increasingly clear reality: contemporary indoor environments can be toxic.
For some employees, the symptoms are downright debilitating. As one web designer suffering from SBS noted: “As soon as I entered the building, it felt like the breath was sucked out of me.”
For others, chronic discomfort becomes normalized. As another affected occupant observed: “The suffering becomes the norm. But once you move out of the sick building, that is when you really become aware of just how low the bar was set on the air quality in the toxic indoor environment you got used to suffering in.”
The Financial & Legal Impact on Businesses
Each year, sick building syndrome costs organizations an estimated $200 billion in lost worker productivity, efficiency, absenteeism, and staff turnover.
Beyond lost productivity—estimated at 2% annually due to poor indoor air quality—companies face growing legal risks. Personal-injury lawsuits related to sick building syndrome are on the rise, forcing organizations to foot expensive bills for:
- Total or partial building evacuations
- Remediation and structural reconstruction
- Furniture and carpet replacement
- Legal settlements and worker compensation
Two Main Categories of Indoor Pollutants
Sick building syndrome is primarily triggered by two distinct categories of indoor contaminants:
- Chemical Contaminants: Off-gassing and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by office furniture, adhesives, carpeting, copiers, cleaning products, perfumes, and petroleum-refined materials.
- Biological Contaminants: Airborne bacteria, viruses, mold spores, pollen, and insect droppings—which are particularly prevalent in high-occupancy environments and healthcare facilities.
While some outbreaks are obvious—such as a sudden spike in absenteeism or noticeable chemical odors—indoor pollutants usually do their damage silently. Many employees suffer quietly without reporting issues to facility management, delaying mitigation for months or years.
Furthermore, SBS occurs even in modern buildings that fully comply with current engineering standards for temperature, ventilation, and lighting.
Solving Sick Building Syndrome
While occupants cannot completely avoid exposure to indoor pollutants on their own, facility operators have practical tools to control and eliminate them.
Comprehensive SBS remedies include improving outdoor air ventilation rates, replacing off-gassing carpets and furniture, and establishing fragrance-free workplace policies. However, one of the most immediate and cost-effective solutions is continuous indoor air purification.
Modern advanced purification technologies allow facilities to deploy cost-effective air disinfection systems capable of deactivating the smallest, most harmful airborne particles—both biological pathogens and chemical pollutants—at the point of exposure.