What is Sick Building Syndrome and Why St. Louisans Should Care

Sick Building Syndrome (“SBS”) is an illness felt by people that are all working within the same building. The symptoms of the illness can vary greatly but they tend to have common symptoms among the same building groups. Common symptoms of SBS are the mucous membrane irritation of eyes, nose, and throat; headache; unusual tiredness or fatigue; and, less frequently, dry or itchy skin.

Building-related illnesses that can develop include asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, inhalation fever, rhinosinusitis, and infection. Sick Building Syndrome’s origin is not completely known but many have speculated that it is tied to mold infestations if not combined with other environmental irritants. This is partially due to the fact that the symptoms of SBS are very similar if not identical to that of a mold infestation.

St. Louis area workers who feel ill in large numbers with the commonality of working in the same building should consider asking their management to test the building for a mold infestation. Company property managers should realize that testing is the first step towards having an answer to the problem as SBS is not known to disappear without some action taken. If mold is found and is the source of Sick Building Syndrome, mold remediation is a very likely candidate for a solution to a building related illness.

Delaying or ignoring a SBS problem can become a serious health issue for workers in that building and has the potential to lead to lawsuits. The potential for a class action lawsuit here is very real as aggressive and litigious attorneys are looking for such an opportunity. Having a building professional inspected for mold and remediating it where necessary, while not a desired expense, is a much better option than the legal bills adding up and the core problem still remaining as it went unaddressed.

Disaster Emergency Services can assess a building for mold contamination as well as provide independent laboratory test services to confirm if the air is infected with abnormal mold growth. From there, we can recommend a remediation plan and assist in its execution if so desired by a client. Disaster Emergency Services prides itself on its quick but thorough work and its focus on ensuring problems are solved the right way at a competitive price.

About Disaster Emergency Services, LLC

Disaster Emergency Services (“DES”) provides professional cleaning and property resort services to the St. Louis metropolitan area and surrounding areas. Our Professional Cleaning services are available for non-disaster routine cleaning and disasters alike. DES also provides emergency restoration services that include professional cleaning in most instances where required. Check out our services list here:https://www.disasteremergencyservices.com/services/. Contact us today for a quote.