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Anything But IAQ Problems |
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Although it doesn't happen frequently, occasionally complaints related to indoor air quality are really caused by other items in the environment.
Specific lighting deficiencies or localized sources of noise or building vibration can sometimes be easily identified, and remedial action can be fairly straightforward. More or fewer lights or adjustments for glare can have a positive impact. Relocating, replacing, or acoustically insulating a noise or vibration source can also solve many problems. Similarly, flagrant ergonomic stress or blatant psychosocial stress may be apparent even to an untrained observer.
Ergonomic stress usually comes from a process of repetitive function that a building occupant performs. It can be directly related to the height of a chair, table, workstation, or other design. Psychosocial stress, however, can often be summed up by "the boss is a jerk." This isn't always the case though, since a psychosocial stress can occur when a heavy workload is encountered or, others in the workspace are not doing their job. We have even been involved in a case study involving psychosocial stress related directly to other people's personal body odors.
In some cases problems may be more subtle or solutions more complex. Since specialized knowledge, skills, and instrumentation are usually needed to evaluate lighting, noise, vibration, ergonomic stress, or some types of psychosocial stress, these evaluations are best done by a qualified professional in that particular field.
Although they don't occur with any great frequency, these other items, unrelated to indoor air quality, can serve as the source of a building's indoor air quality complaints. |
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