Accommodating and preventing environmental sensitivities - Canadian Research Pro

[Guest guest]

Canadian Research Program

Accommodating and preventing environmental sensitivities

_http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensib

ilitee/page8-en.asp_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page8-en.asp)

 

 

 

There is a growing recognition of the need for action to prevent and

accommodate environmental sensitivities. Poor indoor environmental quality can

affect other workers and reduce productivity; it also puts them at risk of

developing environmental sensitivities. This section discusses additional

details

for consideration within the workplace, and some accommodation guidelines that

are presently available. Costs and benefits of healthier workspaces are also

addressed.

 

Environmental sensitivities and the workplace

 

Organization of the work space

 

Employees must be able to access their workspace, the " tools for the job "

such as office equipment, and amenities such as washrooms. Accommodation of

people with environmental sensitivities should include good air quality,

building, furnishings and materials standards, and maintenance practices in

entranceways, hallways, elevators and stairways, washrooms and in the workspace.

Areas with equipment that give off emissions (e.g. photocopiers, printers and

faxes) should be separately ventilated. Outdoor clothing can be kept in closed

closets with an exhaust. A meeting room can be designated along the lines of

California's " cleaner air room. " Wireless-free zones may improve both worker

health and security of communications.

 

A 2006 report outlined that Canada allows the use of 60 pesticides that are

banned elsewhere in agriculture, and has higher allowable residues and poorer

monitoring of pesticides in food than many other nations.257 In the

workplace attention could be paid to listing ingredients in cafeteria food.

Filtered

water is also important for people with environmental sensitivities.

 

Energy costs vs. ventilation

 

As the price of energy for heating and cooling rises, building owners and

managers will feel increasingly pressured to reduce ventilation when buildings

are not in use. Heat-recovery equipment may allow ventilation to be continued

while constraining costs.258

 

Shutting down air exchange overnight and during weekends or holidays will

lead to VOC build-up. This possibility reinforces the need to minimize

off-gassing materials in the indoor environment. Filtration is a partial

substitute

for fresh-air makeup during those periods when buildings are not occupied, as

long as there is no source of pollution such as combustion, which could lead

to carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide accumulation.

 

Intermittent VOC build-up is undesirable, because the VOCs are absorbed by

surfaces such as furniture and fabrics. Although air can be rapidly flushed,

the absorbed VOCs give off more slowly, contributing to poorer air quality

over an extended period of time.

 

Buildings' surroundings

 

The workplace is no more isolated from its surroundings than are the workers

from their environment. Landscaping, scents from neighbours' laundry

facilities and other outdoor air pollutants may all affect access to premises,

as

well as the quality of indoor air through ventilation.

 

Typically air intakes for buildings are located close to the ground because

the furnace is in the basement. Debris, dust, soil moulds, and snow are drawn

inside from these low lying air intake grills. Air intakes should not be

close to sources of pollution such as loading docks and should be up high to

avoid ground level contaminants.

 

Vehicle exhaust is particularly problematic. In October 2005, the Minister

of Education for New Brunswick announced a province-wide idling ban for all

school buses, the first provincial initiative of its kind in Canada, to protect

health and save fuel. " Idling gets you nowhere " signs are gaining prominence

in some jurisdictions, and no-idling policies are being instituted outside

of entrances and in the vicinity of air intakes.

 

Proximity to high-voltage power lines and electrical transformers should be

avoided, and electrical fuse or breaker panels should be located at a

distance from workspaces. Power supplies / electrical wiring should be designed

and

maintained so that circuits are self-contained and balanced, and electricity

is maintained in the wires. Minimizing exposure to radio-frequency radiation

should be considered.

 

Air quality inside vehicles

 

Drivers of trucks and buses are regularly exposed to fuel and exhaust fumes,

potentially putting them at risk of developing sensitivities. There is no

requirement for school buses and delivery trucks to keep their engines idling,

but some ambulances may be required to do so. The exhaust fumes can be

extremely harmful to people with environmental sensitivities, putting them at

greater risks during a health emergency. Avoiding exposure to exhaust could

improve the prognosis for many people, particularly those with sensitivities.

 

Poor air quality in public transit also limits the mobility of people with

environmental sensitivities, who are over-represented in the lower

socio-economic groups.10 Masks with activated carbon may be used by some who

have enough

strength and sufficiently competent airways, to allow access to places with

poor air quality such as public transit. However, these charcoal filters are

costly, have limited effectiveness and life-span, and must be changed

regularly (perhaps weekly). Anti-idling policies are very helpful, and

alternative

and highly fuel-efficient technologies such as hybrid vehicles should be

considered.

 

Accommodation resources

 

Publications related to the workplace

 

Four publications specifically addressing accommodation of people with

environmental sensitivities in the workplace are:

 

a.. " Accommodating Employees with Environmental Sensitivities: A Guide to

the Workplace " and " Accommodating Employees with Environmental Sensitivities: A

Guide for Building Managers " by Leslirae Rotor, Elizabeth Hare and Debra

Sine.

_http://harepublishing.com/es.html_ (http://harepublishing.com/es.html)

 

b.. " Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

in Independent Living " by Pamela Reed Gibson, Ph.D. James Madison

University.141

_http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/bookshelf/MCS.html_

(http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/bookshelf/MCS.html)

 

c.. " Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at Work " (1997) is a guide by the Public

Service Alliance of Canada for PSAC Members. It addresses recognition and

tolerance issues, as well as details regarding accommodations. A scent-free

guide, published in 1998, builds upon this guide.192

 

d.. " Environmental Hypersensitivity in the Workplace " (1994) by Bruce Small

and Associates discusses the phenomenon of hypersensitivity and includes

detailed lists of considerations and accommodations for people with chemical,

biological and electromagnetic sensitivities.

 

The federal Department of Justice published " Policy on Accommodating

Differences in the Workplace " (June 2001). This is a more general document that

discusses the positive impacts of accommodation of people with environmental

sensitivities.

 

The Canadian Society of Environmental Medicine published the two-volume

guide " Environmental Health in Hospital (2001) " for hospital staff. It

addresses

pollution prevention and caring for the environmentally sensitive patient.

The first volume contains detailed information regarding maintenance and

practices, while the second volume focuses on patient care.

 

 

Workplace hygiene initiatives should include education and early action to

minimize toxic exposures, as well as monitoring employees for environmental

sensitivities, as described by the New Zealand Association of Hairdressers

Inc._259_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page14-en.asp)

(In the US, 20% of hairdressers leave the profession for health reasons._260_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensib

ilitee/page14-en.asp) )

Assessment of electromagnetic phenomena in the workplace involves a variety

of measurements and potential remediation, _261_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page14-en.asp) from

correction of wiring in the building to use of alternative technologies.

Many guides and self-help websites discuss coping with environmental

sensitivities. Some sources are listed in _Appendix C_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page12-en.asp) .

Publications related to " green " buildings

Guidelines for the construction industry to improve both environmental impact

and indoor environmental quality have been published by the Canada Green

Building Council (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – LEED)._184 _

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil

itee/page14-en.asp) The Building Owners and Managers Association (_BOMA_

(http://www.boma.ca/) ) also promotes a variety of environmental standards to

address environmental concerns including energy efficiency and indoor air

quality. Although these guidelines are not completely protective for people

with env

ironmental sensitivities, they do recommend some helpful steps to address

several important environmental issues.

Best practices - Accommodations for children in daycares and schools

Some of the more detailed and stringent guidelines to improve indoor air

quality and to minimize microbes and VOCs in indoor air have been the result of

providing healthy environments for children. Citizens for a Safe Learning

Environment (_CASLE_ (http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/education/casle) ) exhaustively

examined considerations for optimum indoor environments in institutions.

Recently, the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment

released

" Playing it Safe: Service Provider Strategies to Reduce Environmental Risks

to Preconception, Prenatal and Child Health. " The Partnership also provides a

checklist that covers many factors impacting environmental sensitivities,

which follows from its " _Child Health and the Environment - A Primer._

(http://www.beststart.org/resources/env_action/index.html) " Health Canada has

developed " _Tools for Schools_

(http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/air/tools_school-outils_ecoles/index_e.htm\

l) " information to optimize environmental quality,

although they are not as stringent as the citizens’ initiative. As of

September 2006, New York State required " _Green Cleaning_

(http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/facplan/greenclean.htm) " in schools, hoping to

improve asthma and

behavioural problems._31_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page14-en.asp)

In order to accommodate or prevent sensitivities in children, similar issues

are identified as for workplace accommodation. These include fragrance-free

non-toxic cleaning materials; non-toxic learning materials (papers, books and

writing materials); high quality ventilation and air purification systems;

construction and maintenance to prevent mould; conducting all renovations with

non-toxic materials and no carpets, renovating only when the children are not

present, and conducting adequate off-gassing; maintaining a scent-free

environment; organic and wholesome foods with no colourings, preservatives or

artificial flavours; avoiding known sources of contamination such as paint

containing lead; and strict least-toxic pest control methods both inside and

outside, with a large buffer zone from more toxic pesticide applications (e.g.

as

required by the Pesticide Code of Québec).

Costs and benefits of accommodations

An effective strategy for achieving healthy indoor spaces and good air

quality is to minimize potential pollutants during construction and renovation.

Energy conservation concerns will create pressure to decrease ventilation in

sealed buildings, further reinforcing the need to use low-maintenance materials,

finishings, furnishings and equipment that contain materials with low

toxicity, and have few emissions. Healthy indoor environments for children in

schools are cost-effective in terms of building construction and

maintenance,_262_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensib

ilitee/page14-en.asp) and they lead to health and learning

improvements._8,86,262,263_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page14-en.asp) Workers’ health and productivity also

improves with better indoor environmental quality._8,79,83,218,264-266_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/pag

e14-en.asp)

Costs of accommodation may include some renovation (e.g. to replace carpeting

or furniture with tolerated materials), but some of the most important

aspects of accommodation involve behaviour changes at the individual level.

Accommodation may involve, for example, using less toxic cleaning products such

as

vinegar and hot water. The benefits that result in terms of improved worker

productivity and student behaviour and learning_8,79,83,218,264-266_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/pag

e14-en.asp) make the choices regarding indoor environmental quality

straightforward from an economic point of view._262_

(http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/research_program_recherche/esensitivities_hypersensibil\

itee/page14-en.asp)

Summary

Accommodation of people with environmental sensitivities should involve the

person affected. It requires evaluation of many aspects of the workplace

environment. Documents discussing accommodations are available, as are resources

regarding construction and renovation for people with environmental

sensitivities. Health and productivity benefits far outweigh possible minimal

extra

costs of designing, planning, and acting to minimize factors in the workplace

that would be harmful to people with environmental sensitivities. For people

with environmental sensitivities, their health and ability to work rests with

the actions of others, including building managers, co-workers and clients.

 

 

..