Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings: A Technical Guide

3. Communication Strategy

Procedures should be defined for handling complaints and for communicating information before, during, and after an investigation. Lines of communication should identify key people, such as occupants, building staff, workplace health and safety committees, management and union representatives, and health and regulatory agencies. Ultimately, however, the building owner will have to resolve the problem. Cooperation and early action can lead to a successful solution. Without open communication, any IAQ problem can become complicated by frustration and distrust, delaying its resolution.

Because standards of comfort vary from one individual to another, it is probably impossible to satisfy all occupants of a building. In any building population, there may be some environment-hypersensitive individuals who are adversely affected by a wide range of environmental factors at relatively low exposure levels. For these special cases, a good deal of personal detective work may be required to determine the cause of the sensitivity, to achieve control over symptoms, and to establish working and living conditions, lifestyle changes, and medical treatments that may lead to a reduction in sensitivity over time.

It is in the building manager's best interest to respond promptly and seriously to all complaints about the indoor environment and to establish credibility through open communication with the building occupants. Building managers should not underestimate the anxiety and frustration that can result if occupants believe that no action is being taken or that important information is being withheld.

Effective communication during IAQ investigations should include the following steps:

• Define the complaint area, based upon the location and distribution of complaints (the extent of the complaint area may be revised as time goes on).
• Identify key people and form a balanced inspection team. Building occupants can be valuable allies in solving IAQ problems, particularly in observing odours or patterns with respect to IAQ complaints. To encourage this cooperation, it is advisable to take occupants' theories into account during the investigation.
• Establish a system of recording the timing and location of complaints. This could include complaint logs and/or occupant questionnaires. Written records are important to the understanding of IAQ problems.
• Notify building occupants of the scope and purpose of any upcoming investigations. This information can be posted, distributed, or addressed at a health and safety committee meeting.
• Make the final results and proposed implementation plan available. Provide progress reports. Feedback and cooperation are important.