The phrase “sick building syndrome” first came to the world’s attention in 1983 when the WHO used it to highlight the potential health risks of exposure to poor quality of indoor air. Nearly four decades later, once again sick buildings are in focus as businesses reopen and employees return to work following the pandemic-led disruptions. 

Many business organizations and other commercial and public buildings are now proactively implementing proven solutions, such as UV light for HVAC systems and upper air UV systems to fight infection risks in indoor environments. In the aftermath of the pandemic, there is also an increased consciousness among the employees, customers, and other stakeholders about the risk of exposure to harmful pathogens and allergens in buildings.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in buildings can contribute to allergies, asthma and other lung diseases, fatigue and dizziness, headaches, eye irritation, and breathing difficulties caused by infections of the upper respiratory tract. To improve energy efficiency, many buildings today are virtually airtight or have poor ventilation.

This kind of closed indoor environment also means that building occupants are more exposed to illness-causing viruses and bacteria that an infected person might release into the air. The presence of pollen, molds, and other biological contaminants can also contribute to building sickness. These conditions can be effectively countered by installing an upper air UV system or UV light HVAC system in commercial and public buildings.

A business occupying a sick building that fails to put in place corrective measures to disinfect the indoor environment, improve ventilation, and install systems for safe indoor air quality may eventually end up damaging its financial health. 

The employees working in a sick building may experience more frequent medical issues, resulting in absenteeism, lower work productivity, higher insurance claims, low morale, and poor performance. Most importantly, the reputation and goodwill of the organization among its employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders may suffer a negative impact.

Clearly, the direct and indirect costs to a business will far outweigh the costs of implementing simple yet effective solutions such as an upper air UV system or UV light for HVAC system in any commercial building.

A 2017 research article titled “Stale Office Air is Making You Less Productive” published in Harvard Business Review highlighted how poor indoor air quality in commercial buildings adversely impacts employee performance. According to the article’s author Joseph Allen, sick building syndrome continues to be a concern even today.

Numerous research studies have shown that healthy indoor air is directly correlated to the health of the building occupants. Allen’s own research showed that the decision-making ability of the workers significantly improves under conditions of good indoor air quality.

Business owners and managers should view commercial buildings as a critical human resource development tool. When the employee fitness, motivation, and productivity benefits are taken into account, the cost of improving a building’s indoor environment is entirely worth it for any business. Therefore, businesses must conduct an astute cost-benefit analysis when considering solutions for clean indoor air quality in the building.

Aerapy offers cutting-edge UV disinfection solutions for commercial, industrial, healthcare, and mobile unit spaces. Our award-winning technology is designed to help safeguard the health of your building occupants by eliminating harmful pathogens and bio contaminants. Call us at 866-994-2473 to set up a free UV consultation or contact us online.