Is your workplace making you sick?

This story was originally titled "Is Your Workplace Making You Sick?" in the September 2009 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

Germs
Germs, such as bacteria and viruses, spread rapidly in places where there are a lot of people, and the office is no exception. The higher the head count, the greater your risk of getting sick. Flu and cold viruses – by far the most common office germs – are spread through coughs and sneezes, and by touching contaminated surfaces, says Dr. Roy Fox, medical director of the Nova Scotia Environmental Health Centre in Halifax. "They can survive for two or more hours on surfaces such as doorknobs or photocopiers," he says.

Hot spots
Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., conducted a study of germs in the workplace and found that common office surfaces had – get ready for this – 400 times more germs than a toilet seat. The telephone, desktop, water fountain handle, microwave door handle and keyboard took top honours as the most germ-laden surfaces. Interestingly, Gerba has also found that women's workplaces harbour nearly three times more bacteria than men's, even though they generally look cleaner. The main reason? Additional bacteria on the extra "stuff," such as makeup bags, picture frames and purses.

What you can do
• Clean your keyboard, office doorknob, copier buttons, countertops and your phone. In Gerba's study, daily cleaning with a disinfectant wipe lowered the germ count on office surfaces by 99.9 per cent. Berman touts old-fashioned bleach and water (in a one-to-50 ratio) as the best cleaning solution.

• Wash your hands several times a day with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds; rinse them thoroughly before drying with a paper towel.

Tip: While not all experts agree, Dr. Fred Berman, an internationally renowned toxicologist who directs the Toxicology Information Center at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore., suggests taking a pass on antibacterial soaps, which he says can foster resistant strains of bacteria.

Indoor air quality
Many office buildings have limited ventilation, which allows dust, gases and possible toxins to build up inside, says Sandra Bello, a health and safety technical specialist with the Chemical Services Unit at the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. At the same time, Bello says, chemicals used to maintain office buildings are often trapped indoors by inadequate air circulation.

Hot spots
There's a good chance that your cubicle partition contains some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – organic chemicals that produce vapours at room temperature. VOCs include acetone and the chlorinated solvents found in some upholstery. You may not think of the office photocopier as a source of bad air, but "when it is being used, ultrafine particles from the toner escape into the air," says Dr. Barbara MacKinnon, CEO and president of the New Brunswick Lung Association.

You don't need to worry about handling toner cartridges, though. They are sealed, so there's no direct contact with toner, says MacKinnon. Don't forget the potential hazard from above. "Dust, dirt and other particles can collect on the top of ceiling tiles," says Patrick Smale, president of E.K. Gillin and Associates, an environmental health and safety firm in Stratford, Ont. "The ventilation system may reintroduce them into the air."


Page 1 of 3 -- On page 2, learn how you can protect yourself from poor indoor air quality.