Health hazards posed by poor indoor air quality must be eliminated proactively

Many issues can be prevented by careful planning and the right choice of construction materials. Emission-free building and interior decoration materials should be favoured, proper ventilation ensured and attention given to efficient engineering solutions in respect of, for example, drainage. Buildings also need to be systematically maintained. The effectiveness of ventilation must be ensured by clearing any blockages, and regular cleaning is essential.

Any leaks must be addressed immediately and the affected structures dried in order to prevent microbial growth. As a rule, any damaged materials should be replaced. The cause must be investigated and repairs carried out to prevent any recurrence of the problem.

In the event that the building is leased, the employer must contact the landlord to agree on repairs and maintenance. The employer is always ultimately responsible for their workers’ health. The employer can terminate the lease agreement if the conditions in the building are obviously putting workers’ health at risk.

Health hazards must be eliminated without delay and the impacts of the remedial action monitored

It is the employer’s duty to ensure that there are procedures in place to prevent any harmful effects on health resulting from poor indoor air quality and to address any issues.

If workers are found to be suffering from poor indoor air quality at the workplace, the employer must take any necessary steps to prevent exposure and eliminate the causes.

Procedure for addressing indoor air quality issues in the workplace

It is the employer’s duty to

• consult with their occupational health care provider or other health care specialists to establish whether any symptoms of workers are due to their work
• determine in cooperation with their occupational health care provider which workers could potentially continue to
• work in the affected building without risking their health and on which conditions
• prevent the exposure of any workers who cannot work in the affected building without risking their health until a specialist has established by means of tests or measurements that the exposure agents have been eliminated
• comprehensively study the condition of the building by reliable means and establish the effects of, for example, high-risk structures, damp, the condition of the ventilation system, cleanliness and the condition of interior decoration materials, on indoor air quality
• carefully plan repairs, including solutions such as efficient extractor fans and partitions to prevent the spread of dust and noise, for example, to ensure a healthy work environment for construction workers and others who work in the building during the repairs, if temporary relocation is not possible
• carry out the repairs as planned
• ensure that workspaces are cleaned thoroughly afterwards, and
• follow up on the effectiveness of the remedial actions and their impact on workers’ health in cooperation with their occupational health care provider.

The employer’s comprehensive study of the condition of the building should incorporate moisture measurements and, if necessary, dismantling to examine the extent of any structural damage. Employers who do not have the necessary expertise to carry out these kinds of investigations should outsource the job to a competent specialist in order to determine the cause and severity of the issue. Samples also need to be taken of the air inside the building and the materials used in interior decoration and structural solutions, and the samples analysed for volatile organic compounds (VOC), micro-organisms and fibres, dust and particulates, for example.

Setting up a working group on indoor air quality is often a good idea. In most cases, these kinds of working groups consist of line managers, representatives of the property owner and the maintenance company, the employer’s occupational safety and health manager and the occupational safety and health representative, occupational health care professionals and a representative of the affected workers. External specialists can also be invited to the working group’s meetings.

Open and timely communication is crucial

Employers can prevent rumours by communicating openly about any investigations into indoor air quality issues and the progress of remedial action. If information about how indoor air quality issues are being dealt with is withheld, workers may think that their employer is not taking their symptoms seriously even if the employer has in fact taken steps to address the issue.

It is important to remember that details about individual employees’ health constitute classified information under the Finnish Personal Data Act. Information about individual workers’ health cannot be shared with other workers. Only health care professionals can determine whether workers’ symptoms are caused by something in their workplace.

In order to keep workers properly informed about the progress of steps taken to address indoor air quality issues, employers should give them regular updates on

• what is known
• what is not known
• what will be done to remedy the situation
• when will remedial action be taken
• what will happen next, and
• how the impact of remedial action will be monitored.