A survey of office workers has found that women are more likely to complain of "sick building syndrome" (SBS) symptoms than men. Joe Humphreys reports.
Between a third and a half of office-based employees aged between 20 and 55, who were surveyed for a study on environmental conditions, complained of SBS symptoms.
More women than men reported symptoms ranging from drowsiness, headaches and nausea to skin irritation, wheezing and odour complaints, according to the survey, the results of which were published yesterday.
But the difference may be due to under-reporting by men. Some may fear it would be seen as a sign of weakness to complain, the report's author suggested.
The results of the study, conducted by Ms Marie McCaffrey, environmental health officer with the South Western Area Health Board, are contained in the Environmental Health Officers' Association (EHOA) Yearbook 2002-2003, which was launched in Ennis yesterday.
In one of three buildings examined, complaints increased as one went upstairs with a 30 per cent higher complaint rate among top- floor workers compared to those on the ground floor.
In her conclusion to the report, Ms McCaffrey writes that "in the current environment of litigation, employers are increasingly aware of their responsibilities" under health and safety regulations. "If SBS can be linked to non-compliance with these regulations, an individual may have a valid claim in damages against their employer for breach of their statutory duty."
SBS prevalence was found to vary between the three buildings: a converted Georgian house which was naturally ventilated and owned by a private company, and two mechanically ventilated office blocks owned by Government bodies and built in the late 1960s and 1970s respectively.
On temperature, the Georgian building performed best with only minor deviations from a recommended comfort range. In contrast, the building dating from the 1960s recorded "extremely high temperatures" during periods of occupancy, correlating with reported symptoms of headaches, sore throat, dry skin and dry throat.
The other machine-ventilated building also gave rise to complaints over stuffy air and fluctuating temperatures. Some 39 per cent of respondents in the building complained of draughts.
Across all age groups women were more sensitive than men to SBS symptoms with 54 per cent of women aged under 35 registering complaints compared to 46 per cent of men. Higher prevalence rates were also recorded among allergy sufferers, non-smokers and people using contact lenses or glasses.
The yearbook, the 20th to be published by the EHOA, contains articles on several other research projects conducted by environmental health officers throughout the State. These include studies on a cryptosporidium outbreak in the public water supply in Co Westmeath in April 2002, and a comparative study of food hygiene and safety in the catering sector.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Colm Smyth, chairman of the EHOA, urged the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to stand over his plan to introduce legislation banning smoking in pubs and other places of work despite opposition from some Government backbenchers.