If your employees report persistent headaches, fatigue, and concentration problems that improve when they leave the building, Sick Building Syndrome may be affecting your Anchorage workplace. We diagnose and resolve it.
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) describes a situation in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear linked to time spent in a building, but where no specific illness or cause can be identified. Symptoms typically improve or resolve when occupants leave the building.
— World Health Organization definition, adaptedSBS is distinct from Building-Related Illness (BRI), where a specific cause — such as Legionnaire's disease or carbon monoxide poisoning — can be clinically identified. SBS is characterized by a pattern of symptoms across multiple building occupants that correlate with time in the building but resist easy diagnosis.
For Anchorage employers, SBS presents both a workplace health concern and a business performance issue. Studies consistently show that poor indoor air quality correlates with reduced cognitive performance, increased absenteeism, and higher staff turnover — measurable costs that well-maintained building IAQ can reduce.
Alaska's climate makes Anchorage commercial buildings particularly susceptible to SBS conditions. Offices sealed for 8+ months per year with inadequate fresh-air ventilation create exactly the conditions — elevated CO2, concentrated VOCs, accumulated particulates, and biological contaminants — that drive SBS symptoms.
Request a Commercial IAQ AssessmentEPA estimates poor indoor air quality costs the US economy over $40 billion annually in lost productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs attributable to building-related illness.
Anchorage commercial buildings are sealed against the cold from October through May. Without adequate mechanical ventilation, CO2 and pollutant levels climb steadily through the winter season.
OSHA's General Duty Clause requires employers to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards. Documented IAQ complaints in a commercial building create an employer obligation to investigate and act.
SBS is typically characterized by a cluster of symptoms across multiple employees, linked to time in the building and relieved by leaving it.
Persistent headaches that begin or worsen during the workday and improve in the evenings or on weekends away from the office. Often correlated with elevated CO2, VOCs, or inadequate ventilation — common in over-occupied or under-ventilated Anchorage office spaces.
Unexplained afternoon fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and reduced cognitive performance at work. Elevated CO2 (above 1,000 ppm) is a well-documented driver of cognitive impairment — and CO2 builds steadily in sealed, over-occupied Anchorage offices throughout winter.
Dry, irritated eyes; runny nose; sore or scratchy throat during the workday. Often driven by low humidity (common in Alaska winters), VOC exposure, or fine particulate matter from inadequately filtered HVAC systems.
Dry cough, chest tightness, or worsening asthma symptoms during work hours that improve on days away from the office. May indicate mold contamination in HVAC systems, high particulate levels, or chemical irritants in the building environment.
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea linked to building occupancy are concerning SBS symptoms that may indicate more serious issues — elevated CO levels from combustion appliances, or high VOC concentrations from building materials or cleaning products.
SBS diagnosis considers patterns: Do multiple employees report similar symptoms? Do symptoms improve on weekends or vacation? Did symptoms begin or worsen after a building change (new carpet, HVAC work, occupancy increase, renovation)? These patterns are key diagnostic indicators.
SBS rarely has a single cause. In Anchorage commercial buildings, we typically find a combination of factors contributing to symptoms.
The most common SBS driver. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 specifies minimum ventilation rates for commercial occupancies. Many Anchorage buildings — particularly older ones built before modern standards — are chronically under-ventilated, especially when air exchange is reduced in winter to conserve heating energy.
Office furniture, carpeting, adhesives, cleaning products, copy machines, and renovation materials all off-gas VOCs into building air. In a sealed Anchorage office, these chemicals accumulate over winter months. New buildings and recently renovated spaces are particularly affected during initial off-gassing periods.
Mold growth in HVAC systems, cooling towers, and wall cavities disperses spores throughout a building's occupied spaces. Bacteria in stagnant water in HVAC condensate pans and humidifiers can also contribute to occupant symptoms. These sources are invisible to building occupants but detectable by professional inspection.
Outdoor CO2 is approximately 420 ppm. ASHRAE recommends maintaining office CO2 below 1,100 ppm. In densely occupied or under-ventilated Anchorage offices, CO2 can reach 2,000–3,000 ppm during winter — levels at which cognitive impairment and fatigue are measurable and well-documented in research literature.
Parking garages, loading docks, or mechanical rooms adjacent to occupied office space can introduce exhaust and combustion gases. Improperly maintained gas appliances and boilers in the building's mechanical systems are also potential sources of CO and other combustion byproducts.
Malfunctioning air handlers, clogged filters, blocked fresh-air intakes, and broken exhaust fans are common contributors to SBS in Anchorage commercial buildings. We assess HVAC system operation as part of every commercial IAQ diagnostic.
Our commercial IAQ diagnostic follows a systematic process aligned with ASHRAE and OSHA guidelines for building IAQ investigations.
We begin with a structured assessment of reported symptoms across building occupants — identifying patterns, spatial clusters, and temporal correlations that point toward causal areas. Confidential, systematic, and aligned with NIOSH investigation protocols.
We measure CO2, VOCs, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, temperature, relative humidity, and biological contaminants across occupied zones, mechanical rooms, and problem areas. Data collected over representative time periods — not just a single snapshot. Commercial IAQ services →
We inspect and evaluate air handlers, ductwork, fresh-air intakes, exhaust systems, filters, and thermostatic controls. Ventilation rate measurements confirm whether ASHRAE 62.1 minimums are being met for the building's actual occupancy.
We deliver a professional written report documenting findings, root causes identified, and prioritized recommendations with estimated implementation costs. The report is suitable for sharing with building management, owners, and legal counsel if required.
We provide oversight and follow-up testing after recommended interventions are implemented — verifying that changes have achieved the intended IAQ improvements before the investigation is formally closed.
For larger Anchorage commercial clients, we offer periodic IAQ monitoring programs that provide early detection of developing problems before they become employee complaints or regulatory concerns. Contact us to discuss →
If you're managing a building where employees report persistent symptoms, or you want to proactively assess your workplace IAQ before problems develop, contact us for a commercial IAQ consultation. We work with building owners, facilities managers, and HR teams across Anchorage.
Serving Anchorage commercial buildings · Confidential · Professional findings report included
We travel throughout the greater Anchorage area and Mat-Su Valley. Don't see your area? Call us — we likely cover it.