Page 87 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2019

IAQ investigations involve “best practice” methods and can substantially resolve building occupant chronic complaints and fears, impacting safety and health and productivity.
the new foam cushioned chairs. A second employee experienced severely swollen eyes and mucous membranes. Both occupants re- covered when chairs were removed.
Case Study 3: HVAC
Buildings are under negative pressure and will draw air in from adjacent areas as well as through the HVAC system. Control mea- sures to prevent this from happening include maintenance of drain traps, installation of positive pressure HVAC/fans to prevent vehi- cle exhaust from entering the building, and sealing floor level pipe chase openings among other measures.
One set of incidents investigated involved highly irritating fugi- tive volatile solvent releases from a paint factory being drawn into a nearby office building’s HVAC. This was difficult to monitor as the problem occurred sporadically and response time took longer than the event did to normally dissipate vapors. Legal action was helpful in this case.
There can be overblown hysteria in some IAQ cases. Memora- ble cases involved a 400-employee walkout due to fears of chemical
release (was HVAC failure with some nonhazardous odor devel- opment), allegations that office lighting was causing multiple em- ployee hair loss, or that fluorescence (mineral deposition) on brick wall interiors was mold infestation.
All incidents should be assessed objectively so as not to miss hidden issues. Employees should always be informed as to objec- tives and final results. No matter what the situation and extent of resolution, many employees will continue to complain until pre- sented with assessment and resolution facts.
IAQ investigations involve “best practice” methods and can substantially resolve building occupant chronic complaints and fears, impacting safety and health and productivity.
Louise Vallee, CSP, CPE, CIH is currently AVP, Manager of Risk Engi- neering for Crum & Forster’s Risk Engineering Department. She leads Risk Management, Middle Markets, and Contractors Risk Engineer- ing staff and partners with internal and external customers to support profitability, customer acquisition, and retention. Her career encom- passes a 30+ year track record of strategic risk engineering/health and safety consulting leadership and sustainability success. Vallee holds a BS in Environmental Science from UMass/Amherst and an MS in En- vironmental Health/Industrial Hygiene from the Harvard School of Public Health. Her credentials include Certified Safety Professional, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Professional Ergonomist, Dangerous Decibels Educator and OSHA 30 completion.
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