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Evaluation of indoor environmental quality with limited surface sampling for metals at an office building
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2019/03/01
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Source: Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2018-0046-3346, 2019 Mar; :1-29
[PDF-1.20 MB]
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Description:In December 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from the union representing employees working in an office building. Employees were concerned about air quality throughout the building. Employee health concerns included breathing issues; eye irritation; skin lesions, and allergy attacks that they attributed to dampness and mold in the building, and particulates from the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Employees were concerned about particulates from the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system supply air vents. Specifically, employees were concerned the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system contained residual particulates with metals from when the building was used to manufacturer jewelry roughly 30 years ago. On June 1, 2018, we performed a walkthrough of the office building and performed wipe sampling to analyze particulates for metals found on office furniture and in areas near the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system supply air vents. During our walkthrough, we identified a number of potential issues related to indoor environmental quality at this office building, some of which were caused by retrofitting an industrial building into an office building. Indoor environmental quality issues included signs of a dusty environment, indoor dampness, improperly functioning heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, and rodents and pests. Management reported receiving notifications regularly from employees that fragrances in the workplace caused mucous membrane or respiratory symptoms. We recommend creating a health and safety committee consisting of employees who work throughout the building to engage with management on issues such as comfort (temperature and relative humidity), indoor dampness, dusty environments, and housekeeping concerns. We recommend management review personal workspace rules and enforcement guidelines pertaining to blocking vents; food storage, preparation, and consumption areas; refrigerators; fish tanks; dehumidifiers; and fragrances.
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Pages in Document:36 pdf pages
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Contributor:Feldmann, Karl D.;McClelland, Tia;
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NIOSHTIC Number:20055322
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NTIS Accession Number:PB2019-100831
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Citation:NIOSH [2019]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of indoor;environmental quality with limited surface sampling for metals at an;office building. By Harvey RR. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of;Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,;National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HHE;Report No. 2018-0046-3346,;
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Federal Fiscal Year:2019
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Peer Reviewed:False
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Resource Number:HHE-2018-0046-3346
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