Vol. 45, No. 10
When dealing with indoor air quality complaints, it helps to get specific information about the problem. Here are some easy-to-answer questions you can try that have been used by Alan Hedges, a professor at the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology in Ithaca, N.Y.
Worker Air Quality Assessment
Answer the following questions about environment comfort conditions and health symptoms that you may have experienced in the office during the past month.
Please indicate whether you have experienced each of the following environmental conditions in the office during the past month:
| Condition |
Yes |
No |
| Air temperature too cold |
|
|
| Air temperature too warm |
|
|
| Too little air movement |
|
|
| Air too dry |
|
|
| Unpleasant odor in air |
|
|
| Air too stale |
|
|
| Air too dusty |
|
|
Source: Cornell Office Environment Survey questionnaire (short form)
SBS Symptom Checklist
Indicate whether you have experienced any of the following symptoms on at least a weekly basis during the past four weeks and whether this symptom got better when you were away from the office.
| Symptoms |
Yes |
No |
| Irritated, sore eyes |
|
|
| Sore, irritated throat |
|
|
| Hoarseness |
|
|
| Shortness of breath |
|
|
| Stuffy, congested nose |
|
|
| Excessive mental fatigue |
|
|
| Headache |
|
|
| Unusual tiredness, lethargy |
|
|
Source: based on Cornell Office Environment Survey questionnaire (short form)