For those of us who spend eight hours a day in one place every day for five days a week, the answer to this question is fairly simple: HELL YEAH!! Before you start throwing your hands in the air and proclaiming, “SOMEBODY can relate” and getting ready to get your ‘cuss on’, I have something to tell you. I didn’t ask if your building was getting on your nerves. I asked if it was making you sick.
In so many instances, we find ourselves working in environments t on such a regular basis that we don’t even pay attention to the physical effects until it’s too late. The simple fact is that there are many things that go into making sure that your work environment is suitable for you to work. However, if you find yourself wondering if your building is making you sick, here are a couple of things to consider:
1) How do you feel when you’re at home compared to when you are at work?
- Pay attention to how you feel when you come home from work. If you find yourself feeling sick at work but you get better after you’ve been home for a while, you may be exposed to something at work that making you sick.
2) Are there certain areas of the building where you don’t feel right?
- Sometimes, there is a specific area where there may be clear indications that something is wrong.
3) How are your eyes? How about your breathing? Anything setting off your allergies (Even though you don’t have any)?
- Sometimes, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that is making you feel sick but you can definitely tell that something is wrong. Are your eyes watering? Are you having a hard time breathing? Are you sneezing like crazy? Pay attention because these could be warning signs that something is wrong.
4) Has anything changed in your building?
- Yes, we get excited when we get a new roof, new wall, or new system put in place. However, the simple fact is that there are times when putting in these new things may create new health problems. Pay attention if you notice a difference.
The phenomenon that I am referring to is called “Sick Building Syndrome” and it usually occurs when some type of exposure to a particular substance in the building results in you getting sick. If you notice something is wrong, don’t be shy and don’t wait for it to get worse. Let your employer know right away.
