What is indoor air quality?

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of air within buildings / occupied structures which has the potential to affect the health of the occupants. In Malaysia, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has published a Code of Practice on IAQ in year 2015 (amended in 2010).

Why is indoor air quality important?

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can potentially result in health problems; both short and long term. The following health issues are commonly related to poor IAQ:

• Allergic reactions
• Respiratory problems
• Eye irritation
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Risks of dread diseases

Buildings that are mechanically ventilated (split A/C included) have higher potential of poor IAQ. Inadequate ventilation is a contributor to IAQ issues.

What are the pollutants?

IAQ issues are caused by indoor pollutants which are not adequately ventilated. Some of the pollutants and the sources are as follows (list is not exhaustive):

• Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exhaled from smokers; ETS is recognized as human carcinogen by the International Agency from Research on cancer (IARC) in 2002. ETS exposure could potentially increase the risk of coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
• Formaldehyde is contained in furniture adhesives, furnishings, lacquer and paints could be emitted indoors and expose the occupants. Extensive exposure to formaldehyde could increase the risk of leukaemia and cancers of the nose, throat, and sinuses.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOC – typically solvents) contained in furniture paint, varnishes, wax, aerosol sprays, air fresheners and cleaning liquids can be emitted indoors. VOCs can potentially lead to health problems such as Eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, liver and kidney damage and central nervous system damage. Some VOC’s are suspected carcinogens.
• Ozone could originate primarily from emitted from copiers / printing machines and indoor electrostatic air cleaners. Studies have shown that extensive short-term exposure ozone can temporarily affect the lungs, the respiratory tract, and the eyes. Long term exposure could potentially impair lung function.
• Other sources include smoke and volatiles from indoor cooking / stoves and biological agents (virus / bacteria etc); which have similar health impacts described above. Poorly ventilated interconnected buildings could also contribute to pollutants in occupied buildings.

The following are acceptable indoor air quality parameters in Malaysia (COP-IAQ):

What you need to do?

The following can be undertaken by occupiers of a building to manage IAQ issues at workplace:

As a proactive measure, the employer, could conduct building walkthroughs and identify potential IAQ hazards (substances, activities that potentially contribute to IAQ issues in the building); or

Identify potential IAQ issues by having a complaint registration and investigation procedure. Employees should be made aware of the IAQ hazards and encouraged to record a complaint to the occupier / employer if they have significant “sick building syndrome” symptoms in the workplace, which may include one or more of the following:

• eye and nose irritation
• fatigue
• cough
• rhinitis
• nausea
• headache
• sore throat

Should the complaints / walkthroughs be found to be related to workplace IAQ, the employer should arrange for a IAQ assessment and monitoring by a competent IAQ Assessor (certified by Malaysian DOSH). The assessor would furnish an assessment report, verifying the findings and suggestions of corrective actions, the IAQ assessor may recommend a few approaches, and the employer shall implement them to the extent where it is as far as reasonably practicable.