This is the second in a series of articles that the VI Civil Service Association (VICSA) is doing to raise the awareness of Public Officers on various employment matters and advocating for improved occupational health and safety conditions.

There are many things that we take for granted daily as it relates to the terms and conditions of our employment; one of them being an employee´s right to a clean and safe work environment as laid out by the Virgin Islands Labour Code and General Orders. The 1975 Labour Code labour policy section stated that "...employment conditions of workers should be those which serve to preserve their health, safety and welfare..." The focus of this article is on indoor air pollution, sick building syndrome and ways to improve indoor air quality. If you missed it, check out our first article that lays foundation for our discussion.

We tend to think of air pollution as something outside -- smog, ozone, or haze hanging in the air, especially in summer. But the truth is, the air inside homes, offices, and other buildings can be more polluted than the air outside - 2-5 times! The air inside your home may be polluted by lead (in house dust), formaldehyde, fire-retardants, radon, even volatile chemicals from fragrances used in conventional cleaners. Some pollutants are tracked into the home. Some arrive via a new mattress or furniture, carpet cleaners, or a coat of paint on the walls.

In an article on the WebMD website on allergies and indoor air quality, it was stated by Dr. Lang, the head of Allergy/Immunology at the Cleveland Clinic that in that mix, you'll also find microscopic dust mites -- a major allergen -- plus mould and heaps of pet dander, even if you don't have pets. Pet dander is what´s called a community allergen because pet owners carry it around on their clothes and shed it throughout the day. Children, people with asthma, and the elderly may be especially sensitive to indoor pollutants, but other effects on health may appear years later, after repeated exposure. In the article, Sr. Lang also stated that indoor allergens and irritants have become much more important in recent decades because we're spending more time indoors and because modern buildings are airtight, these irritants can't easily escape. "We're all exposed to a greater degree than we were three or four decades ago," he says.

Air Flow/Ventilation Let´s look at air flow and how it affects air quality as this is an important factor in preventing poor air quality indoors. If too little outdoor air enters a building space, pollutants can accumulate to levels that can pose health and comfort problems. Unless they are built with special mechanical means of ventilation, homes and office buildings that are designed and constructed to minimize the amount of outdoor air that can "leak" into and out of them, may have higher pollutant levels than other buildings. However, because some weather conditions can drastically reduce the amount of outdoor air that enters, pollutants can build up even in places that are normally considered "leaky".

How Does Outdoor Air Enter a Building? Outdoor air enters and leaves a building three (3) ways:

1. Infiltration. In a process known as infiltration, outdoor air flows into the house through openings, joints, and cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings, and around windows and doors.

2. Natural ventilation. In natural ventilation, air moves through opened windows and doors. Air movement associated with infiltration and natural ventilation is caused by air temperature differences between indoors and outdoors and by wind.

3. Mechanical ventilation. There are a number of mechanical ventilation devices, from outdoor-vented fans that intermittently remove air from a single room, such as bathrooms and kitchen, to air handling systems that use fans and duct work to continuously remove indoor air and distribute filtered and conditioned outdoor air to strategic points throughout the building.

The rate at which outdoor air replaces indoor air is described as the air exchange rate. When there is little infiltration, natural ventilation, or mechanical ventilation, the air exchange rate is low and pollutant levels can increase and can lead to what is called sick building syndrome and building-related asthma.

Experts coined the term "sick building syndrome" to describe acute symptoms that occur only during time spent in a particular building and that cannot be explained by any specific illness or cause. Symptoms include headache, dry cough, dry or itchy skin, dizziness, nausea, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, sensitivity to odours, and irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat. Typically the symptoms improve after you leave the building.

1) Chemical contaminants Poor ventilation that restricts fresh air flow inside can be a cause of sick building syndrome. Carpet, upholstery, manufactured wood, copy machines and cleaning fluids can give off what´s called volatile organic compounds (VOC´s), including formaldehyde (used to embalm people). High concentrations of VOC´s can cause cancer. At home, un-vented gas stoves can produce carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. So in other words, fresh air is very important to your health as there are tons of gases that we breathe in everyday that if allowed to build up to toxic levels that can make us sick. Outdoor sources of chemicals can also cause sick building syndrome. Pollutants from cars and trucks and exhaust from plumbing vents and building machinery can enter a building through vents and add to poor air quality.

It is important to note that if the air-conditioning system in your office or home does not have a fresh air intake as part of its design then you are breathing `recycled air" which is not the kind of recycling we want to promote. More information to come in future articles on the importance of properly engineered ventilation systems (not just a `cooling´ system) at the design stage of a building and what can be done to prevent the occupational health and safety problems and we have been talking about so far.

"Building-related asthma" is the term used when symptoms of a diagnosed illness can be linked directly to airborne contaminants within a building. Symptoms include cough, chest tightness, and wheezing. Unlike sick building syndrome, leaving the building may not immediately improve the symptoms.

2) Bacteria, moulds, viruses, and other biological contaminants Bacteria, moulds, and viruses can breed in stagnant water that builds up in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or where water collects on carpet, ceiling tiles, and insulation. Humidifier fever is an illness caused by toxins from micro-organisms that grow in large heating and cooling systems in buildings, but they can also be found in home systems and humidifiers. Legionella pneumophila is an indoor bacterium that can cause Legionnaires' disease, which is a form of bacterial pneumonia. Pet dander, pollen, dust mites, moulds, and rat and mouse urine are allergens that can cause asthma, allergic rhinitis, and other lung problems. Symptoms of illness caused by biological contaminants include sneezing, watery eyes, shortness of breath, lethargy, dizziness, and digestive problems. Exposure early in life to indoor allergens such as moulds may increase the risk of allergies or asthma. Allergies to moulds can also make asthma attacks worse or cause other breathing problems.

The above explains why it is really a matter of life and death when homes and offices aren´t designed and maintained properly. As we mentioned in the first article, the `bug´ that is making us sick is not the common cold and it is important to pay attention to your symptoms and whether or not they `appear and disappear´ when in a particular environment so your condition can be properly diagnosed and treated. Some ways given to help reduce allergens in our work environment are:

- Exhaust fans that vent to the outdoors and are installed in kitchens and bathrooms can help get rid of moisture that allows micro-organisms, including moulds, to grow.

- When modern building materials get wet, they provide an ideal environment for the growth of moulds, which can make asthma attacks worse and may cause other respiratory symptoms. Ventilating attic and crawl spaces and keeping humidity levels below 50% can help prevent moisture build-up in building materials. There are other ways to control indoor moulds, such as preventing leakage, removing wetted materials, and using a dehumidifier during humid weather.

- If used, keep humidifiers (opposite of dehumidifiers) clean and refill them daily with fresh water.

Frequently (not once year or never) clean evaporation trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators.

Water-damaged carpets and building materials can also have moulds and bacteria in them. It is difficult to get rid of bacteria or moulds, so, if possible, replace or remove water-damaged items from your home. This last point is a major offender in workplaces because often times we try to "clean" carpets that have been wet repeatedly when in fact they should be removed. Cleaning tends to minimise the smell but as was just mentioned, it is difficult to get rid of mould and bacteria ad the best course of action is replacement or disposal. The recommendation found was to remove carpets, and replace them with hardwood or tile floor.

- At home, have sofas with covers that can be removed and washed; use blinds instead of drapes, because they collect less dust and have air filters in some rooms, especially in the bedroom.

How you react to indoor air pollutants depends on your age, health, and how sensitive you are to certain chemicals or biological pollutants, such as bacteria. Treatment can be as simple as removing and limiting your exposure to toxins in your home. In some cases, serious illnesses-such as cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease -can develop after long-term and repeated exposures. With such long-term exposures, treatment may be extensive, depending on the type of illness.

This information is very sobering and we´d like to end on a good note. If there was good news here are four (4) simple steps to improve indoor air quality that can be implemented right away in any office by managers with minimal expense:

1. Keep your floors fresh.

- Suck it up. Using a vacuum cleaner that has strong suction, rotating brushes, and a HEPA filter ensures that dust and dirt won´t get blown back out in the exhaust. In high traffic areas, vacuum the same spot several times. Don't forget walls, carpet edges, and upholstered furniture, where dust accumulates. For best results, vacuum two or more times each week and wash out your filter regularly.

- Mop it up. Mopping picks up the dust that vacuuming leaves behind. You can skip the soaps and cleaners and just use plain water to capture any lingering dust or allergens. New microfiber mops (and dust cloths) reportedly capture more dust and dirt than traditional fibres and don´t require any cleaning solutions whatsoever.

- Keep it out. Put a large floor mat at every door. People track in all sorts of chemicals via the dirt on their shoes. A door mat reduces the amount of dirt, pesticides, and other pollutants from getting into your home or workplace. If the mat is big enough, even those who don't wipe their shoes will leave most pollutants on the mat -- not the floors in your home or office.

If you live in a home or work in an office building built before 1978, there's a good chance that lead paint still exists on your walls. But even in a newer home, you may face lead exposure -- from lead dust tracked in from outside.

Lead dust can raise the risk of exposure for young children -- a serious problem that can damage the brain, central nervous system, and kidneys. Pesticides are also linked with brain damage in young children. Kids are vulnerable to higher exposures because they tend to get dust on their fingers and then put their fingers in their mouths. To best protect your family, ask people to remove their shoes when entering your home. Keep house shoes, slippers, and socks near the door.

2. Keep a healthy level of humidity. Dust mites and mould love moisture. Keeping humidity around 30%-50% helps keep them and other allergens under control. An A/C technician at a local company should be able to help you determine humidity levels in your office and what adjustments may be needed. A dehumidifier (and air conditioner during summer months) helps reduce moisture in indoor air and effectively controls allergens and a change in the AC filter in the air conditioner also reduces indoor pollen count - great news for allergy-sufferers.

Tips for dehumidifying your home:

o Use an exhaust fan or crack open a window when cooking, running the dishwasher, or bathing.
o Don't over water house plants.
o Vent the clothes dryer to the outside.
o Fix leaky plumbing to prevent moisture-loving mould.
o Empty drip pans in your window air conditioner and dehumidifier.

3. Make your home a no-smoking zone. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Research shows that second-hand smoke increases a child's risk of developing ear and respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). For the smoker, this addiction causes cancer, breathing problems, heart attacks, and stroke. If you want to stop smoking, support groups, nicotine-replacement therapy, and other medications can help. Find a method that works for you, get some support (friends, family, fellow quitters, counselling), and think positive. Focus on your reasons for quitting -- not on your cravings.

4. Smell good naturally. You may associate that lemony or piney scent with a clean office, bathroom, kitchen or clothes, but synthetic fragrances in cleaning products and air fresheners emit dozens of different chemicals into the air. You won´t find their names on the product labels. Conventional cleaners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, and air fresheners in solid, spray, and oil form may all emit such gasses.

In one study, a plug-in air freshener was found to emit 20 different volatile organic compounds (VOC's), including seven regulated as toxic or hazardous under U.S. federal laws. But these chemicals were not included on the label -- only the word "fragrance" is required to be listed. But the actual composition of the fragrance is considered a "trade secret." What can you do?

o Don´t mix cleaning agents together is these "cleaner cocktails" can create toxic fumes that might smell good but a deadly to inhale and wreak havoc on your respiratory system over time.
o Look for fragrance-free or naturally-scented cleaning products.
o Switch to mild cleaners that don't include artificial fragrances.
o Use a face mask when using aerosol sprays -- deodorants, hair sprays, carpet cleaners, furniture polish, and air fresheners, especially if you have allergies.
o Let in fresh air. Open windows so toxic chemicals don't build up in your home. What if you or your child has pollen allergies? Then keep rooms ventilated with a filtered air- conditioning system.
o Use sliced lemons and baking soda to get a clean scent in the kitchen.
o Bring nature indoors. Any room is prettier with a fern, spider plant, or aloe vera. It´s also healthier. NASA research shows that indoor plants like these act as living air purifiers -- the foliage and roots work in tandem to absorb chemical pollutants released by synthetic materials. If you have children or pets, make sure the plants aren´t poisonous if ingested.

For more information on indoor air quality check out "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality" at www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html

Employee illness is costly to both employees and employers and every opportunity should be taken to maintain a healthy and safe workplace. A proactive policy and procedures that prevent problems from occurring is the best policy and the VICSA will continue lobbying for Public Service Occupational Health and Safety policy to ensure that there is a standard in place for all government offices regardless of their location; for better communication from our employer about the clean-up of the Central Administration Building and standard procedure for the maintenance and operation of government offices that provide a world-class working environment for world-class service delivery.

Let us resolve to be part of the solutions and commit to doing your part in making the VI Public Service a place where top quality service is delivered to our fellow countrymen. Let us live the VICSA motto: Serve with Excellence to Secure the Future of the VI!!

Stay Tuned....the next article will cover mould remediation and other related topics. Also, if you have a suggestion for a topic, feel free to email it to us at info@virginislandscsa.com