Vancouver law firm goes paperless – just one of many ways to improve indoor air quality
With its army of 60 lawyers, Fraser Milner Casgrain’s (FMC) Vancouver office could have easily turned into a paper kingdom, its walls fitted with shelves upon shelves of case files.
But having a lot of paper around the office can contribute to poor air quality — a lot of dust can accumulate on the files. So, instead, FMC launched a concerted effort to go paperless. Whenever a case is closed, all of the files are transferred to an off-site storage facility.
FMC also took the additional step of redesigning its workplace to further enhance indoor air quality. Named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers by Mediacorp Canada (the company behind Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition), it reduced its printers and transferred closed files offsite.
It also adopted an open concept layout that led to an outdoor deck that could be used for lunch breaks or opened up to let fresh air into the office.
The layout and design of a space can affect the movement and quality of air, says Anwar Kassam, the principal of AirVironment Canada, a Calgary-based company that conducts indoor air sampling.
“Sometimes what happens is people arbitrarily put cubicles to partition the office, but don’t take into consideration the ventilation system.”
Grouping all the printers and photocopiers in one ventilated room is also a way to minimize employees’ exposure to contaminated air, says Connie Choy, an air quality co-ordinator at the Ontario Lung Association.
Only a few Canadian jurisdictions have legislation that address issues of indoor air quality, but building codes across the country adopt standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
“An engineer has to design your heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) system to comply with the standard. They have to have a certain level of ventilation based on the number of occupants,” says Chris Liddy, an occupational health and safety specialist with the Hamilton-based Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
Poor air quality can compromise the health and productivity of employees.
It could lead to building-related illness (BRI), a diagnosable condition that includes Legionnaires’ disease, a respiratory disease that can cause pneumonia, according to the CCOHS. It could also trigger sick building syndrome (SBS), which is linked to rhinitis, nasal congestion and severe lung disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency website in the United States.
Pinpointing the source of an irritant is tricky since it can be linked to many factors — the scents and smells of occupants; the off-gas emissions from furniture, carpets and paints; building materials; cleaning substances; dust mites; mould and particles from printers and photocopiers.
The real experts in narrowing down the laundry list of contaminants that fill the air are the employees themselves, says Wagish Yajaman, an occupational hygienist at Workplace Safety and Prevention Services in Toronto.
To an extent, an employee’s perception of the overall air quality feeds into their assessment, says Yajaman. When concerns from employees about the air quality are raised and practices are questioned, “it’s very important that an employer not dismiss it,” he adds.
A noisy environment littered with paper and air contaminants being released into the air can negatively impact productivity.
Yajaman gets called when employees report symptoms, which may be linked to poor air quality — headaches, itchy eyes or a runny nose. But often employers fail to appreciate that their workers have a better understanding of the issue and may have solutions, he says.
“A lot of times I’m surprised employers don’t talk to their employees,” he says. “(They) didn’t need me, the middle man, coming in there.”
Routine check-ups to assess the air quality can be done monthly to ensure a comfortable working environment.
“Anyone can really do a quick walkthrough of the office, (and) closely examine any potential triggers for poor air quality.”
Weathered carpets, mould on the ceiling, water leakages and new furniture that emit odours are red flags.
Developing good relations with the building facilities manager also helps since they are responsible for monitoring the HVAC system.
Sophisticated air testing should not be the first response, agrees Liddy.
Walkthroughs focus the investigation on processes that can affect the air quality. For instance, isolating a process first that involves certain chemicals can help inform later testing. And while indoor plants improve air quality by producing oxygen and absorbing contaminants, offices need to schedule time to water and maintain them.
An increasingly popular and money-saving response that takes aim at reducing the source of irritants is a no-scent policy, says Choy. For some people, the chemicals are noxious enough to cause headaches, nausea, migraines, breathing problems and sneezing, to name a few health concerns. Because people have varying levels of sensitivity to perfume or scented products, many employers have opted to make it voluntary for workers.
Scent-free recommendations are often initiated when an employee raises the issue. But getting everyone on board is not easy, especially without prior consultation, says Yajaman. Going scent-free can involve changing the type of laundry detergent, toiletry products and cosmetics used.
“There’s usually a lot of resistance,” he says. “Little things we take for granted means that you’ll have to change your habits at home.”
The Anglican Church of Canada’s headquarters in Toronto implemented its fragrance-free policy when someone dropped a complaint in the suggestion box. An email was sent out to staff to accommodate the request, and Sandra Kitson, the church’s HR manager, says most people have been co-operative. The facilities manager has also opted to buy cleaning materials that do not emit strong odours.
John Sandrelli, managing partner of FMC in Vancouver, says the firm regularly hosts town hall meetings, giving everyone an opportunity to voice concerns or suggestions to improve the overall office environment.
If employers want to adopt the no-scent policy, Choy recommends conducting surveys, holding discussions and having focus groups to communicate and gauge opinion.
“Part of the challenge is people hesitate to speak out if they don’t understand why something is implemented,” says Sandrelli. “If you really educate people and communicate why you’re doing this… people are more inclined to speak out and raise their concerns.”
