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a Mondar, Fehruary 25, 198S PACiFIC 3U5iNtSb NCwo Indoor air pollution, poor ventilation . hrtf , f ~ a~ ~ng product• ~v~f ~i of U.S. workers NEW YORK - Poor veat~ation aad citarate smoke ate the top air-quality problems t3:at insertere. with the produc. . dv;ty of office worlce:x, according to a national sttrvey conduaad by Honeywdl Techaaiysis. Poor veatiluion is a problem for 67 percent of the people who say they have difficulty doing their work because of the air -quafuy in their offices. Ggarette smoke bothers 54 per- cent of these workers and 53 percent fed improved air quafiry would make their offices more productive. The Honeywell Tedma3yss survey polled a represeatuive liGtiV POltrilTANTS Iti7TatCC THE BODY sampiaof 600 office worken, 18 years or older, who work at least 20.hours a week in an office setting in which five a' .~ more persons are employed. Ofr= workers complairt of numerous respiratory prob- n _ lems and physical reactions from indoor air -poiJurion. I r / ~ N\ ~ ~~ -/ Among those dted most frequently by complaining workers open" l,.o,,,,,,, 43 I j rv~. -wn y I.~+~.... l i 6 f eongess oa ( aasa peremt), eags (S were tfred or skepy pereent), eye irritacioas (41 percent), breathing difficuldes (40 1( /('->~ ~~":.~._' ... percent). and headaches (39 percent). ( j 1 T/ !"Oi"°` - "The survey raises warning flags for management and health professionats,." said James E. Woods, Pn.D., sen~or sratf scientist for Honeywell's Corporate Physical Sae:~ces Center. "The findings warn managers that they risk losing worker produaivity by reducing ventilation to att eaer;y costs. The impact reduced ventilation has on air quaCuy is being discovered by resaarchers, scientists, and industry ex- peru. Office workers also are beginning to verbalize mm- pliinar about air-qEality issnes. Twenty-four percent of those polled say the air quality ' yhere they work is "oniy fair" or even "poor.•• AnorAer 32 percent rate the air quality as "excelkn[," and 44 percent consider it "good." Lighting and temperature are the other top factors that affecr productivity. Potentially serious health issues exist for the 22 percent of otfiee workers who complain of gas and vapor fumes and the 19 percent who say they breathe irritating chcmicals, such as . formaldehyda "'Ibese ukimately issay be the most dangerous pollutants,^ Woods said. "But many office workers undoubtedly arealt even aware they're being exposed to them and of the health problems they may face." Common contamiaants in addition to formaldehyde in- ctude carboa dioxide, asbestos, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitro- gen dioxide, and radon (a radioactive and inert gas found in aoil). according to Woods. The sources of these pollutants are linked to office furnisnings and equipment, fabrics, applEances, the ground beaeath buildings, and people themselves, Woods added. The Honeywdl Tec3inaiysis survey also uncovered an air- quality Smder Sap. Thirty-four perceat of the women believe the air quality where they work is •'only fair" or "poor," but only 18 percent of the men share that opinion. Sixty-five perccat of the women say that correcting air-quality prob- lems will produce higher productivity, cotnpared with C percent of the men. This margin of dissatisfaction between women and men mr.y come from signific=t differences in working conditions rcponed in the survey. Men are mucli more Gkdy to work in fully cnclobeai off;ces and to have greacer aetxss to windows, ancl have greater mobility in ofGem.