Sick Building Syndrome

Marilyn Coppe says work made her sick.

"I became very ill Oct. 3, 2003 as a result of the exposure of the workplace," Cooppe said.

Turns out, Coppe is not alone.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 3 in 10 new and remodeled buildings are making workers sick world-wide.

"Dizziness, lack of concentration, difficulty breathing, upper chest pain, joint pain, and it only happened at work," Coppe said. Then there's the depression.

Doctors say Coppe's symptoms are typical for people suffering from sick building syndrome.

The Alaska Office of Occupational Safety and Health fields dozens of calls about sick building syndrome, but only about four of those a year actually warrant a complaint AKOSH can investigate, said Steve Standley, chief enforcement officer.

A recent case involves the old Mat Maid building on Northern Lights.

In October, AKOSH fined the new owner, Northern Lights LLC, $72,000 for "will-full violation of health and safety" and an order to "cease and desist" business after finding that employees were being exposed to asbestos during remodeling efforts.

Standley said AKOSH gets a lot of complaints about air quality in the workplace but he said, unless there's a specific contaminant in the air, like carbon monoxide, AKOSH officers cannot measure indoor air quality.

According to EPA, some common causes of sick building syndrome are inadequate ventilation, chemicals from carpets, copy

If you think you may be working in a so-called sick building... you can file a complaint with AKOSH.

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.