Unfortunately, the canaries in the office coalmine tend to be people already at-risk for lung related issues, like those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Vapor intrusion worsens in recycled air environments like homes and offices, or trapped areas like basements. Standard air filtration does not always eliminate chemical molecules, so they accumulate to higher concentrations, or worse, react with other present chemicals to create a more harsh molecule.
How about chemicals brought into an office environment?
Will the rug shampoo react with the linoleum stripper? Will the ink drying agent chemically reduce to a more toxic form?
Read the material safety data sheet (MSDS) alternatively the safety data sheet (SDS) or product safety data sheet (PSDS), to understand the chemicals or vapors potentially released by the product and if they have a injurious pathway to your employees.
Also, read the chemicals which should NOT mix with the product. Make a simple spreadsheet of the main products including cleaners, solvents, inks, bleaches, ammonia products, chemicals used in manufacturing or other processing like dry cleaning.
Most of these sheets are written in understandable language. List the family of chemical and what mixes are to be avoided. Does anything match?
Don’t be fooled by separate spaces or activities. These chemicals, in vapor form, can travel through vents, under and over doors, or through windows. Research each possible toxic material producing combination. Then find a way to change one or both chemicals, avoid possible mixing, or at a minimum, detect the toxic mix when it occurs.
Keep the (National Institute of Health) NIH – WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) website handy for quick reference. It is the best tool to quickly determine potential vapor or chemical toxic issues:
www.wiser.nlm.nih.gov/
