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medpundit |
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Friday, November 28, 2003Researchers at Canada's McGill University installed UVGI or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation ventilation systems in three office buildings in Montreal. Like many modern offices, these were sealed buildings. Windows were fully sealed and the only air getting into each of the buildings came through air conditioning units and ventilation vents. The researchers tested the UVGI system over the course of almost a year. UVGI was initially off for 12 weeks before being turned on for four weeks. This pattern was repeated for the duration of the study. The researchers questioned a total of 771 people who worked in these offices. They found strong evidence to suggest that UVGI can reduce the symptoms of sick building syndrome. They reported that workers who suffered from unexplained headaches, irritation around the eyes, the nose and in the throat and respiratory problems had reduced symptoms. The number of people reporting irritation around the eyes, nose and throat fell by 30%. The number reporting fewer respiratory problems dropped by 40%. The original article is only available with an expensive Lancet subscription, the abstract doesn't shed much light. It only gives reduction rates. Hard to tell if the findings justify the cost: "To install UVGI in the ventilation systems of an 11,148 square-metre office building with 1,000 occupants would cost US$52,000 and $14,000 per year for energy, maintenance and bulb replacement. "For every worker, the estimated $52 for initial and $14 for yearly operating costs compare favourably with the estimated yearly losses from absence caused by building-related sickness." I've always been a little skeptical of the diagnosis of sick building syndrome. Certainly, there are some environments that are unhealthy for everyone - say working around volatile, toxic chemicals without protection. And there are people who are more sensitive to certain conditions than others - asthmatics who are forced to work with heavily perfumed co-workers or who are allergic to something else in the office - like mold spores. But is there really an epidemic of sickness in workers in modern office buildings? Not in my practice. And many of my patients share the same work places - their insurance and the network of doctors they can choose from is, after all, dependent on their employment. Which makes me even more skeptical of the cost savings that would be had by adopting the ultaviolet lights in the ventilation system. It's been my impression that frequency of absenteeism due to illness, at least among my patient population, is directly related to job satisfaction. Those who complain most bitterly about their jobs are also those most likely to ask for work excuses - even for minor illnesses. posted by Sydney on 11/28/2003 09:13:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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