Alaska- Sick Building Syndrome

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Sick Building Syndrome

Grace Jang 

Created: 11/11/2009 10:19:41 PM AKST 

http://www.ktva. com/ci_13768367 

Marilyn Coppe says work made her sick.

 

" I became very ill Oct. 3, 2003 as a result of the exposure of the workplace, "

Cooppe said.

 

Turns out, Coppe is not alone.

 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 3 in 10 new and remodeled

buildings are making workers sick world-wide.

 

" Dizziness, lack of concentration, difficulty breathing, upper chest pain, joint

pain, and it only happened at work, " Coppe said. Then there's the depression.

 

Doctors say Coppe's symptoms are typical for people suffering from sick building

syndrome.

 

The Alaska Office of Occupational Safety and Health fields dozens of calls about

sick building syndrome, but only about four of those a year actually warrant a

complaint AKOSH can investigate, said Steve Standley, chief enforcement officer.

 

A recent case involves the old Mat Maid building on Northern Lights.

 

In October, AKOSH fined the new owner, Northern Lights LLC, $72,000 for

" will-full violation of health and safety " and an order to " cease and desist "

business after finding that employees were being exposed to asbestos during

remodeling efforts.

 

Standley said AKOSH gets a lot of complaints about air quality in the workplace

but he said, unless there's a specific contaminant in the air, like carbon

monoxide, AKOSH officers cannot measure indoor air quality.

 

According to EPA, some common causes of sick building syndrome are inadequate

ventilation, chemicals from carpets, copy machines, cleaning products and from

vehicle exhaust and biological contaminants from bacteria and mold, which can be

found in stagnant water, ceiling tiles and insulation.

 

If you think you may be working in a so-called sick building... you can file a

complaint with AKOSH.

 

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.

AKOSH