A Guide to Environmental Issues in the Workplace

Common types of environmental issues in the workplace

If you want to combat environmental issues in your workplace, the first step is educating yourself on the ones you’re likely to encounter. 

Many common workplace environment problems involve indoor air quality (IAQ). According to Kimberly Darby, a spokesperson for OSHA, there are three primary categories of indoor air pollutants that may be found in a building:

• Biological: These pollutants may include bacteria, viruses, fungi, dust mites, animal dander and pollen. Biological contaminants can spread in a building due to poor maintenance, water leaks, humidity issues, condensation or flooding.
• Chemical: Emissions from office equipment, furniture, flooring, pesticides and cleaning products can all introduce chemical pollutants into a building. They can also come from accidental spills, construction materials like adhesives and paints or gases like carbon monoxide.
• Particles: Nonbiological particles are small solid or liquid substances that linger in the air, such as outdoor dust and dirt. Particles can also be produced by indoor activities like construction, sanding, printing or equipment use.

The following issues may exacerbate employee exposure to these pollutants in the workplace and should be addressed as soon as possible.

Poor air quality and ventilation

Poor air quality is most common in manufacturing or work sites that release pollutants but can also be found in standard office buildings. Air quality issues, including excessively high or low humidity, can lead to eye irritation as well as sinus and respiratory issues. These issues are compounded in workplaces with poor ventilation, which can circulate viruses, allergens or gases and residue from cleaning supplies.

“Poor indoor air quality has been linked to symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs,” explained Darby. “In some cases, certain diseases have been directly connected to air contaminants or indoor environments, such as the link between asthma and damp conditions.”

Asbestos

Asbestos is an effective insulator that is often used to strengthen or fireproof materials. However, asbestos exposure can lead to major health issues, so it has been banned in several countries, although it is still legal in the U.S. It’s especially dangerous because some of the asbestos fibers can remain stuck in the body for decades.

Darby noted that long-term exposures to hazards like asbestos may not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to serious conditions over time, including mesothelioma.

Learn More: Want to Boost Productivity? Start by Cleaning Your Office

Mold

Mold can form wherever moisture lives and reproduce through small spores, making it a common workplace environmental issue. It grows from excess humidity, condensation, leaking pipes, drips or flooding, all of which are easy to miss if you’re not looking for them.

Unchecked mold can not only lead to long-term building damage but also impact your employees’ health. Exposure to damp and moldy environments can cause eye and throat irritation, nasal congestion, coughing or wheezing and skin irritation. While the severity of these symptoms varies, respiratory complications are more common and severe in individuals with asthma.

Noise

Noise may not be the first environmental issue that comes to mind ― after all, ambient noise is present in nearly every workplace. However, consistently excessive noise levels can increase stress and decrease productivity and quality of work. Employees may find it hard to concentrate on tasks or understand their co-workers, which can affect productivity quickly.

Noise pollution also carries short- and long-term health risks for employees. Not only can excess noise cause headaches or migraines, but repeated exposure can lead to hearing loss and even heart disease.

Heat

Exposure to excessive heat in an indoor or outdoor work environment can cause serious illness or death if workers are not provided the necessary protections and training. “Millions of U.S. workers are exposed to heat in their workplaces,” said Darby. “Although illness from exposure to heat is preventable, every year, thousands become sick from occupational heat exposure and some cases are fatal.”

Darby added that most heat-related illnesses can be prevented with the following strategies:

• Adequate water, rest breaks and shade or a cool rest area for employees, especially those who work outdoors
• Training employees on heat illness prevention, signs of heat illness and what to do in the event of a heat-related illness in the workplace
• Giving new/returning employees the chance to gradually acclimatize (or become used to working in hot temperatures)
• Monitoring workers for heat-related illness signs/symptoms 

Hazardous chemicals

American workers use thousands of chemicals every day, but very few are regulated by federal agencies. “Chemical exposure in the workplace has been linked to cancers and diseases affecting the lungs, kidneys, skin, heart, brain, nerves and reproductive system,” Darby told Business.com.

Employers should provide clear, understandable information about the chemicals employees are working with and their potential hazards. If you have known hazardous chemicals in your workplace, you are required by OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), 29 CFR 1910.1200, to implement a hazard communication program. 

“The program must include labels on containers of hazardous chemicals, safety data sheets (SDSs) for hazardous chemicals and training for workers,” said Darby. “Each employer must also describe in a written program how it will meet the requirements of the HCS in each of these areas.”

Ergonomics

The study of ergonomics covers the working conditions that factor into employees’ productivity and well-being. Poor ergonomic workstations can cause fatigue and health issues, reducing productivity and work quality. Not only that, but if enough employees go on leave for physical injuries, your business may have to pay for their compensation and for the hiring and equipping of new workers to fill empty office spaces. You might also have to offer overtime pay to workers who are filling in the gaps during absenteeism. 

Two common issues that negatively impact employee health are poor lighting and uncomfortable desk chairs. Insufficient or excessively bright lighting can not only cause eye strain but also impact decision-making when it comes to visually assessing a product’s quality. Uncomfortable chairs can lead to poor posture and a variety of muscular, joint and bone disorders ― potentially increasing your company’s healthcare costs and employee absenteeism.

How to combat environmental health issues in the workplace

If you want to minimize or eliminate environmental hazards in your workplace, follow these strategies to keep your building safe and healthy for employees.

Identify and control immediate issues that may be impacting air quality.

Factors like inadequate ventilation, temperature control issues, high or low humidity, recent renovations or activities near a building can all have a negative impact on a workplace’s air quality, said Darby. Contaminants like construction dust, mold, cleaning chemicals, pesticides or other airborne substances can also contribute to poor IAQ.

Darby said there are three basic control methods for indoor air pollutants:

• Source management: Removing, substituting and enclosing the source using proper precautions or hiring a professional. 
• Engineering controls: Local exhausts (canopy hoods), general dilution ventilation, such as a well-designed and functioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, or air cleaning to remove particles from the air.
• Administrative controls: Modifying employees’ work schedules to reduce the amount of time workers are exposed to pollutants, educating workers on the sources and effects of pollutants and the proper operation of ventilation systems, practicing good housekeeping to remove dirt and dispose of garbage and using cleaning products that minimize the introduction of pollutants.

“While OSHA does not have specific standards for IAQ, it does have guidelines for ventilation and certain air contaminants that may affect IAQ,” Darby noted. “It is recommended that building owners/managers develop and implement an IAQ management plan to address, prevent and resolve IAQ problems in their specific buildings.”

Educate yourself on environmental issues in business to ensure compliance.

You can find online EPA resources outlining issues, such as air quality assurance, onsite wastewater management (PDFs) and onsite remediation. You should also read OSHA’s handbook for small businesses. These online resources give you a good start in compliance with standards for environmental issues at work. You can find online EPA guidelines for several specific industries as well.

Consult environmental experts to handle health issues in the workplace.

At some point, you may decide you need to consult with an expert on environmental issues in the workplace. Check online and local resources to find a consultant who can do site inspections. Determine what services you need and what experience you want in an environmental consultant.

Train your employees on environmental issues in business.

Before making company-wide policies or training employees, make sure you understand the environmental laws and regulations that may impact your industry. You should also research state and local policies that apply to your business.

Once you have a solid understanding of environmental laws for business, you can train your employees on proper procedures and policies. For example, build a training program specifically on electrical dangers in the workplace and teach employees safety techniques they can use to avoid injury. 

Evaluate the effectiveness of environmental precautions over time.

In addition to educating your employees about workplace dangers and possible illnesses, apply what you’ve learned over time. Make sure the methods you’ve put in place are affecting your workplace environment positively by removing hazards and protecting your employees. [Learn more about ways your work environment affects productivity.]

Based on OSHA guidelines, Darby recommended the following strategies for tracking your policies’ effectiveness:

• Assess HVAC system performance
• Observe production processes and work practices
• Measure contamination and employee exposure levels
• Provide medical tests or exams
• Interview employees about environmental issues 
• Review medical records, job histories and injury reports

By understanding the environmental issues that are most likely to affect your workplace, you will be better equipped to identify and combat them. Creating and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace can increase business productivity and overall employee health.

Nicole Fallon ​​and Sharon Cullars contributed to this article.