Ever wondered why at times you go to work and feel sick and whe you are away from work you are ok? Or why person A or B is always sick at work,sinuses,allergies? Its not your boss or onion salary!!

As a Facility Engineer I get numerous complaints from building occupants that a space is too cold or hot, some have sinuses or allergic reactions when they go to a certain place or office and to most it only happens at work, why?

My friend most likely you are suffering from what is called sick building sysndrome (SBS)

What is SBS? 
<i>It is a medical condition where people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness or feel unwell for no apparent reason</i>

Signs and Symptoms of SBS

1. Irritation of the eyes, nose or throat especially when there is poor circulation of air.
2. Non specific hypersensitivity.
3. Skin irritations
4. For some headaches

What causes SBS

1. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) caused by poor ventilation or inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
2. Poor lighting.
3. Poor egronomics (improper sitting postures, extended sitting or standing periods, poor load lifting techniques etc)
4. Exposure to harmful chemical (cleaning,printing) and volatile organic compounds (paints, varnishes, glue).
5 Exposure to high noise levels.

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Source: <a href ="http://9foundations.forhealth.org/">Forhealth.org</a>

So how do I as a Facility Engineer ensure my building occupants have a health space to work in.

1. Indoor Air Quality and Ventillation
To ensure building occupants are breathing clean fresh air , its my duty to ensure that the HVAC is well maintained to improve on ventillation rates.
By adopting green building best practises, I schedule paint works during times when the office(s) are unoccupied (nights and weekends) and the use of low VOC paints and solvents
Studies have shown that improved IAQ , leads to improved performance in workers by upto 101%.

2. Daylighting and lighting
Ever been bothered by that flickering light at the office that is never fixed? Poor lighting causes one to strain while working, leading to headeaches and eye irritations. 
Solution: Try to use as much of the natural light as possible during the day, if lights have to be on ensure that the proper light is used for the intended purpose and use LED they are way cheaper nowdays.
Improved lighting in offices has shown to improve sleep times by upto 46 minutes.
3. Did you know that how an office looks or feels can affect you? Colours,textures and materials that are welcoming, calming and evoke nature have been known to improve the wellbeing of occupants, so for  lobby spaces, work spaces I suggest warm colour but not screaming, add decor (paintings etc).
4. Using of materials that reduce sound and improve acoustics leads to an improved workspace, an example is a double or tripple pane window that not only reduces external noise but also helps in regulating indoor temperature.

Other innovative approaches include:

1. The Duch cycle to work scheme scheme that aims to improve worker wellbing by advocating for workers to cycle to work instead of using cars.
2. Biophilia: who wouldnt want a cactus plant at their desk? Or a great view of trees outside, studies at one call centre have shown that concentrations can improve by 7-12% when workers have a view of nature.

We spend 30 - 50% of our day in offices, why not make them health, liveable and sustainable.

References
1. <a href ="www.worldgbc.org">World Green Building Council</a>
2. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome&ved=2ahUKEwisq72w3-DYAhWSYVAKHazfD80QFjANegQIExAB&usg=AOvVaw3gHzpuoKSsRFvTN-yKklV2" >Sick Building Syndrome : Wikipedia</a>
2. Experience

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