by Rick Fedrizzi
Every year in the United States, billions of dollars are lost to businesses because
of absenteeism, sub-par productivity and health insurance claims. When it comes
to providing a healthy indoor work environment for America's workforce, many fall
down on the job. Some will argue that the cost of providing this type of environment
is prohibitive, the benefits unclear, the results incalculable. This bottom-line
approach is ill founded. Building owners and managers who follow this scenario
are gambling with the future - theirs, their tenants' and their tenants' employees.
And while there are no doubt many inter-related and unrelated factors that determine
the productivity outcome, this article aims to serve as a none-too-subtle reminder
for America's building owners, property managers, health insurers and
Energy Service
Companies (ESCOs) that apathy is not the answer; that these problems aren't going
to go away or cure themselves. Add to this the new threat of bioterrorism on America's
building stock and you can easily see that the need for proper indoor air quality
is quickly transitioning from "should do" to "must do" status.
The problems are real…the time to do something is now!
According to HP-Woods Research Institute (Herndon, Va.), buildings are supposed
to provide secure, safe and healthy conditions and facilitate the well being
and productivity of occupants, owners and managers. Focusing on the "healthy
conditions and well being" clauses, the fundamental objectives of environmental
control are to prevent adverse health effects; provide for desired conditions
of human response, occupant performance and productivity; and, achieve all by
simultaneous control of exposure parameters for thermal, Indoor Air Quality
(IAQ), lighting and acoustics.
But there exists a three-fold problem, according to the HP-Woods findings:
1. Anecdotal and speculative data suggest up to 20 percent improvement in "productivity,"
and a $50-$200 billion a year savings potential in the U.S.;
2. There is a lack of scientifically valid, quantitative data on the effectiveness
of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) on health, performance and productivity;
and,
3. Fiduciary responsibilities require more credible "productivity data."