Managing the quality of indoor air in office rooms: looking for a solution

Abstract

Good quality of the environment in indoor spaces is an important prerequisite for the health, well-being and productivity of office workers. In cases where poor indoor environmental quality threatens the health and well-being of employees, it is important for the employer to undertake the necessary steps to address these issues. However, very often the employer is not well informed on the proper way to implement the required changes, which can result in suboptimal results and waste of resources. In this work we discuss these issues starting from a case study of the actions taken by the occupational safety and health services at a university situated in the city of Gdańsk, Poland, after complaints regarding health problems and poor well-being due to inadequate indoor air quality, lodged by office workers of the university human resources department. Particular focus is given to the legislative and regulatory aspects of indoor air quality in the European Union and Poland, as well as the impact of remediation. Finally, a suggested general course of action is presented aimed at presenting employers with a procedure for positive resolution of the reported issues using effective methods.