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Building
Related Ill-Health
(also
known as 'Sick Building Syndrome')

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There
is 'sufficient evidence' for the carcinogenicity of radon
and its decay products in humans, i.e. a causal relationship
has been established between exposure to these agents, the
exposure circumstance and human cancer. That is, a positive
relationship has been observed between the exposure and cancer
in studies in which chance, bias and confounding could be
ruled out with reasonable confidence.
Group
1 Classification (1988)
World Health Organization - International Agency for Research
on Cancer (IARC)
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European Agency for Safety
& Health at Work (EASHW)
Building
Related Ill-Health
Building
Related Ill-Health : |
Any adverse
impact on the health of building users - while living, working,
generally occupying or visiting a specific building - caused
by the planning, design, construction, management, operation
or maintenance of that building.
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Symptoms
and signs may include ........
- irritation
of eyes, nose and throat ;
- respiratory
infections and cough ;
- voice
hoarseness and wheezing ;
- asthma
;
- dry
mucous membrane and skin ;
- erythema
(reddening or inflammation of the skin) ;
- lethargy
;
- mental
fatigue and poor concentration ;
- headache
;
- stress
;
- muscular
strain and backache ;
- hypersensitivity
reactions ;
- nausea
and dizziness ;
- cancers.
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These
symptoms and signs are present in the population at large,
but are distinguished by being more prevalent in some building
users, as a group, when compared with others. The symptoms
and signs may disappear, or may be reduced in intensity, when
an affected person leaves the building. It is not necessary
that everyone in a building should be affected before Building
Related Ill-Health (BRI) is suspected.
Ergonomic
Factors, such as repetitive tasking, poorly designed workstations
and seating, and extended use of computer equipment without
breaks, etc., and Construction Factors, such as poor
thermal performance, lack of ventilation and/or windows with
views to the exterior, unwanted or nuisance noise, inadequate
lighting, prolonged exposure to radioactive radon gas, etc.,
will all cause adverse health impacts on people.
Low indoor air quality may occur in all types and ages of
buildings - exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
poses a known and serious hazard to health.
Problems in modern, clean buildings are seldom related to
microbial growth, since the physical structures are new. Older
buildings, however, which are inadequately maintained will
have problems with bioaerosols if parts of those buildings
have been allowed to become reservoirs for microbial growth.
Regardless of building age, if inadequate/dirty outside air
is provided for ventilation, chemical and biological contaminants
will increase to levels which cause ill-health.
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'Real' Health & Safety in a Building / Workplace
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The necessity of carrying out a Health & Safety Survey is established, and notified to us. These Surveys should always include an examination of Fire Safety for All .... covering those people living, working, generally occupying or visiting the building / workplace .... but also including, as a matter of routine practice, 'people with activity limitations'.
See Fire Evacuation-for-All
Allow for 10% of People Using the Building (occupants, visitors and other users) having an Impairment (visual or hearing, physical function, mental or cognitive, some not being identifiable and others not wanting to self-identify).
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Based on our Survey Recommendations, an Implementation Plan is developed - usually in co-operation with a local architect and/or engineer, contractor(s), suppliers, etc. These local people must be 'competent persons' ... and specify / use / supply products which can be properly shown to be 'fit for their intended use'.
See our Technical Guidance Notes
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A Health & Safety Management System should then be put in place - to maintain, and continually re-assess at regular intervals (i.e. at least once a year), a satisfactory level of 'real' health and safety in the building / workplace.
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A concise Health & Safety Manual is developed - supported by a comprehensive Health & Safety File. In the case of Large Organizations, the Corporate Health & Safety Statement at the beginning of every local Manual must be consistent with the Corporate Health & Safety Statement (and Corporate Social Responsibility Statement) of the Organization's Head Office.
Trans-National Organizations
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All Health & Safety Documentation should be produced in at least Two Languages - on each and every page (as appropriate). On the left hand side of the page: the Local Language ... and on the right hand side: English. Documentation should be available for viewing / inspection by all local employees .... and the Organization's Head Office.
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Typically, and In the absence of adequate local legal requirements, the Template for our Health & Safety Survey shall be Annex I of European Union Council Directive 89/654/EEC. With regard to ensuring compliance with Local National Law, actual copies of relevant local legislation should be present in the local Health & Safety File. Applicable requirements should be known by local management. Compliance with local legislation is always cross-checked.
European Union Council Directive 89/654/EEC
Click Here to Download PDF
(PDF File, 68kb)
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The Responsibility for maintaining an adequate level of 'real' health and safety in the local building / workplace shall be that of local management. Adequate resources must be devoted by the management to that objective. Ignorance of the law can be no defence, in the event of an accident or any significant incident of Building Related Ill-Health.
The Responsibility of local management in a workplace extends not only to local employees, but also to any local visitors .... and commences when the employees / visitors enter the workplace - whether or not the entrance and entrance circulation spaces are under the control of local management. This Responsibility extends until the employees / visitors leave the workplace in normal circumstances - or, they can reach a pre-designated 'place of safety' in the case of a fire or other emergency.
A specific person, along with his/her deputy, in an Organization's Head Office shall be designated as the People with Overall Responsibility for Health & Safety in the local workplace.
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National
Disease Surveillance Centre - Ireland
January, 2005 - re-named Health Protection Surveillance Centre
and integrated into National Health Service Executive (HSE) |

European
Agency for Safety & Health at Work
(EASHW)
Information
Network of the EASHW
Global
Gateway to Health, Safety & Welfare at Work
Fact Sheet 100 (2011)
Legionella & Legionnaires’ Disease: European Policies and Good Practices
Click Here to Download PDF
(PDF File, 133 kb)
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Cancer
Link to Press Release NIEHS PR #05-01 of 31 January 2005
U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
List of Cancer Causing-Agents Grows
Link to U.S. National Toxicology Programme

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