Most of us spend as much as 30% of our time at work. Many inside the same building from 8am to 5pm, with little more than an hour break to step outside. While some of us may be sick of our job, our job or more specifically where we do it, should not be making us feel sick.

Experiencing flu-like or allergy-like symptoms while at your workplace may be more than catching something from a co-worker or the psychosomatic symptoms of our loath for being there. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) for almost three decades. SBS describes a situation in which occupants of a particular building experience acute health and comfort effects that do not seem to be linked to any specific illness or cause, but rather linked to a specific workspace.

In 1984 The WHO reported that 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide might be linked to symptoms of SBS. The causes of which are many and varied, but the primary suspect is commonly agreed upon as poor indoor air quality as a result of poor ventilation, faulty or badly maintained air conditioning systems, a range of indoor chemical pollutants such as small quantities of toxins in the emissions from building and office material and biological agents such as moulds and bacteria.

Old buildings with well-established damp and mould in long-hidden nooks and crevices as well as tall buildings that do not have opening windows on top floors or doors opening to fresh air ventilated entrances are most vulnerable.

Creating an environment that is conducive to productivity and positivity and as a result profitability is key to the success of any business be it a multi-storey corporate operation or a modest mom-and-pop shop. Absent employees and poor moral have compounding negative impact that can be ill afforded in today’s competitive and tough economic times. Add to this the costs of operating energy inefficient cooling and heating systems and at worst the cost of professional cleaning and maintenance of such and businesses seem to have nowhere to turn.

However the answer may be as simple as turning to the windows and letting in the fresh air, but with the power of control over light, ventilation and privacy that shutters and blinds offer.

‘Sunlight glare on computer screens is easily controlled with a tilt of the slats, flow of air is maximised by the retraction of shutters and blinds to let in all the goodness that nature has to offer and privacy is ensured when shutters and blinds are closed,’ says Stephen Palmer, managing director of AMERICAN shutters.

The fact that shutters and blinds are a functional healthy improvement on closed windows and doors and the regeneration of old air through ventilation systems, is almost as attractive as they are themselves. Consistently preferred architectural and design elements for centuries, shutters and blinds have a timeless quality that adds professional appeal and value to any building and business.

‘Our wooden shutters and blinds are also available with Hygienilac lacquer. Hygienilac is the first wood lacquer to kill most species of bacteria, including the deadly MRSA, salmonella and E.coli, and it goes on killing them for the lifetime of the lacquer – for as long as 10 years!� says Stephen.

Hygienilac prevents the bacteria’s access to nutrients so they starve and die. It has a kill rate of 99.9% over a 24 hr period.

Obviously an ideal option for hospitals, clinics, care-centres, doctors’ rooms, nurseries and schools, shutters and blinds treated with Hygienilac are also a stylish healthy alternative for buildings that are unfortunately unable to facilitate the flow of fresh outdoor air indoors.

Considered fixtures and with AMERICAN shutters’ product warranties and guarantees, their shutters and blinds offer a positive and healthy outlook on our working future.

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