25.2 Sick Building Syndrome

• Library: Virginia Construction Law Deskbook (Virginia CLE) (2019 Ed.)

25.2 SICK BUILDING SYNDROME

25.201 Sick Building Syndrome and Building-Related Illness. In 1982, the World Health Organization described the term "sick building syndrome" as "an excess of work-related irritations of the skin and mucous membranes and other symptoms, including headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating" reported by workers in modern office buildings. ² Sick building syndrome is classified by the types of symptoms involved, the number of people exhibiting those symptoms, and the duration of the symptoms. ³ Unlike building-related illnesses, which are caused by a known contaminant and are characterized by clearly defined symptoms that endure after the patient has left the building, sick building syndrome is characterized by nonspecific, temporary symptoms that are caused by an unidentifiable substance in the building. ⁴

25.202 Causation in General. Following the 1973 oil embargo and the subsequent push to reduce energy consumption, builders and architects focused on designing "tight buildings" that reduced the quantity of outside air contained in buildings. ⁵ These efforts had the effect of increasing the concentration of pollutants that are recirculated through the building's ventilation system. In addition, modern construction materials such as commercial

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glues, adhesives, and coatings emit contaminants that have a negative effect on the health of those exposed to them. ⁶

While the cause of a building-related illness can often be traced to a specific source, such as a water leak or particular construction defect, establishing causation in sick building syndrome is usually much more difficult. There is no universally accepted theory of causation for sick building syndrome, and each case must be examined on its own merits. The syndrome often occurs where a building is not...