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Sick Building Syndrome
Green Cleaning: The Health Impact
Healthier Employees-your Business at it's best
With 30% of U.S. workers suffering from health problems caused by Sick Building Syndrome, companies are vastly underutilizing their human assets and underestimating the benefits of switching to green cleaning. With the same effectiveness as traditional cleaning, and little or no cost increase, the return on investment for switching to green cleaning is immense.
In the 1960s, Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) was first identified when research revealed that volatile organic compounds from carpeting and furniture, inadequate air circulation, poor lighting, mold buildup and disruptive temperature variances were contributing to nausea, respiratory problems, skin rashes, lethargy, headaches and numerous other health concerns. Since then, many independent studies have shown that switching to green cleaning leads to reduced employee sick days and absences.***
A 2002 study by the Indoor Environment Department at the Lawrence Berkley National Design Laboratory in California found that the improved air quality by use of green design, building materials and technologies can lower sick building symptoms by 20% to 50%, while cold and influenza are reduced by 9% to 20%, and allergies and asthma drop by 8% to 25%.
Get the most out of your business by keeping your employees at their healthiest.
Escaping the Sick Building Syndrome:
One of the main killers of productivity faced by today's workers is the Sick Building Syndrome.
The US Environmental Protection Agency defines the term "Sick Building Syndrome" (SBS) as situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.
Bacteria such as Leginella pneumophila can easily multiply in an office and lead to workers suffering from pneumonia or even Pontiac fever. Pontiac fever is marked by fever, chills, headaches and body aches. These bacteria can grow in the office air ventilation system without your knowledge.
Victims of Sick Office Syndrome suffer from a broad range of symptoms such as chronic fatigue, nausea, vision problems and memory loss. Their immune and detoxification systems start to malfunction causing them to suffer from more illnesses and long term effects due to prolonged exposure to harmful bacteria.
Sick Building Syndrome can be detrimental towards a company's profitability because workers will not be performing at their optimal level and may spend many days away on sick leave. In this competitive world of ours, more businesses are realizing that a clean workplace is a strategic business tool. It is very important to protect their most valuable assets--their employees.
How to prevent your workers from suffering from this unproductive syndrome? The answer is very simple, switch to green cleaning your office. What are the advantages of green cleaning?
Green cleaning can:
- Improve your indoor air quality
- Provide healthier facilities for your workers
- Increase your worker productivity as it helps them maintain their health and reduces the number of days that they have to call in sick. This would definitely help the profitability of the company.
- Improve morale and keep workers thinking positively
- Minimize the possibility of exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals
- Reduce water and air pollution as the products are biodegradable
- Improve the overall environment
- Lower operational costs
It is relatively hassle free to engage the services of a green certified janitorial cleaning company. By using the right equipment and environmentally friendly cleaning products, one can be assured that their work environment is clean.
Select a green certified company which is fully licensed, bonded and insured. Engaging a company with over 20 years of experience in providing janitorial services for office buildings, medical facilities, and industrial buildings will definitely be able get your office spick and span and at the same time germ free. In this case, you will get peace of mind and be assured that your workers will not suffer from the Sick Building Syndrome.
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