Comprehensive Occupational Safety
Environmental Site Assessments
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Investigations
Chemicals and Mold
Industrial Hygiene Resources, Ltd. (IHR) has extensive experience in the performance of investigations related to general and specific indoor air quality in non-industrial situations such as business offices. "Tight (or ‘sick’) building syndrome", or complaints of adverse health effects by occupants of conventional office (non-industrial) buildings has evolved as a common problem in our society. Although we do respond to building owners and managers that already have building occupants complaining, we strongly encourage some proactive actions by managers. By performing preliminary and routine air monitoring in a building, a “baseline” of air quality can be established for future reference.
Although most of the cases investigated by our firm appear to be non-specific in nature (~80%), we do find evidence of specific problems of building design and ventilation systems that lead to complaints and health problems for the occupants. For example, the odiferous (fishy) trimethyl amine (TMA) vapor has been shown to be present in office building air generated from wet, resin coated fibrous glass insulation (degrading amino resins). Another example would be employees of a bank being exposed to excessive levels of carbon monoxide (CO) gas from the intrainment of motor vehicle exhaust into the building via drive-up teller operations.
Our approach is to first listen to the complaints lodged by building occupants (through a manager), and then understand the physical aspects of the building, typically via facilities and maintenance personnel. Knowing potential sources of air contaminants, such as “negative” building air pressure and heavy traffic of slow moving, idling automobiles, then we will try to tie the symptoms of the occupants to probable air contaminants. For example, if the bank employees (described above) were to describe chronic frontal headaches during times of heavy drive-up teller business, we would theorize that the complaints are tied to employee exposure to CO gas, and our services would investigate this and provide recommendations for controls.
Air sampling and analysis, and an evaluation of the ventilation system commonly comprise our efforts in determining if an air quality problem does exist, and if so, this may lead the building owner or manager into needed engineering or administrative changes. Common types of air sampling for chemicals include aldehyde vapor scans (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and propionaldehyde), volatile organic compound (VOC) scans, acidic gas scans, sulfur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). We also routinely evaluate bioaerosols of mold, fungi and bacteria in air.
All work is designed by an experienced certified industrial hygienist (CIH) using standardized and good industrial hygiene practices. All chemical air samples are analyzed by an experienced laboratory. Finally, with documentation of the levels of air contaminants in the building (usually compared to outside, ambient air), professional conclusions will be developed about the overall indoor air quality, and thus the “health” of the building. Information will be presented in a factual, understandable format, with clear recommendations of actions for the building managers or owners.
Contact Us:
Toll Free: (888)
322-8287
or
Industrial Hygiene Resources
206 Murray Street
Boise, Idaho 83714
208-323-8287
Fax: 208-323-0783