Keeping Buildings Healthy: How to Monitor and Prevent Indoor Environment Problems / Edition 1

by James T. O'Reilly, Philip Hagan, Ronald Gots, Alan Hedge

Overview

A complete prevention and planning guide for professionals concerned with building-related illness

The dramatic increase in claims of illness related to building conditions has created an urgent need for information and advice on all aspects of this complicated topic. Keeping Buildings Healthy tells professionals what they must know in order to identify, evaluate, and resolve the complex issues presented by building-related illness effectively. Suitable for both manufacturing and clerical environments, it offers legal, medical, behavioral, industrial hygiene, and engineering expertise found in no other single publication.

Supplemented with case studies, plus extensive reference materials on indoor environmental health standards, organizations, publications, and an indoor environmental quality evaluation checklist, this practical resource will be valued by anyone with a stake in the good health and safety of the indoor environment.

Coverage includes:
* A review of common indoor environmental quality problems, such as HVAC systems, noise, lighting, and water
* Health complaint investigations, from triage and diagnosis to choosing consultants and handling the media
* Practical and legal concerns related to government inspections
* Indoor health litigation, legal options of different parties, liability risks, insurance implications, and more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471292289
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	05/19/1998
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.24(w) x 9.35(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

JAMES T. O'REILLY is Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati, Ohio. PHILIP HAGAN is Director of Safety and Environmental Management, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. RONALD GOTS, MD, is a physician with the International Center for Toxicology and Medicine in Rockville, Maryland. ALAN HEDGE, PhD, is a professor in the College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Table of Contents

Does This Building Have an Indoor Environmental Quality Problem?

(P. Hagan).

What Factors Can Affect an Indoor Environmental Quality Complaint?

(P. Hagan).

Investigating Health Complaints (R. Gots).

Indoor Air and Health: Clear-Cut, Equivocal, and Unlikely (R. Gots).

What Can We Learn About Indoor Environmental Quality Concerns from Studies?

(A. Hedge).

Investigating Health Complaints: Behavioral Aspects (A. Hedge).

Communicating Results of the Investigation (A. Hedge).

Government Inspections of the Building (J. O'Reilly).

Indoor Health Litigation and the Building Management (J. O'Reilly).

Litigation by the Tenant's Employees (J. O'Reilly).

Legal Options of the Complaining Occupant-Employees (J. O'Reilly).

Complaints by the Tenant Company (J. O'Reilly).

Building Owner's Options to Sue Persons Other Than Tenants (J. O'Reilly).

Insurance Law Implications of Indoor Health Claims (J. O'Reilly).

Case Study: The Brigham and Women's Hospital Experience (T. Ricciardone).

Case Study: Anchorage, Alaska (A. Hedge).

The Chicago High-Rise IEQ Case (R. Graham & C. Drew).

Appendices.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Primarily geared to building managers and owners, the book approaches the problem of building-related illness from legal, medical, behavioral, industrial hygiene, and engineering perspectives. The authors contend that many indoor-environment-related health claims made by employees may in fact be instances of what they call "mass psychogenic illness." Thus, while it does contain information about possible causes and treatment of actual instances of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), the bulk of the book deals with response to worker complaints, addressing such concerns as the state of indoor health litigation, media relations, and implications for insurance. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews