Remediation
Sick Building Syndrome Treatment
SBS treatment is engineering, not medication. Two or three correctly chosen interventions resolve most workplace cases — once the cause is properly diagnosed.
Principles
Treat the building, not the symptom
Effective sick building syndrome treatment starts with a refusal to treat the symptom. Headache tablets, signage about workplace stress, motivational posters about hydration — these are not interventions, they are deferrals. SBS is an environmental phenomenon, and the only treatments that resolve it are environmental.
The principle is straightforward: identify the engineering causes, sequence them by impact and cost, deliver them, and re-measure. Most workplace SBS investigations resolve once two or three of the causes have been addressed. The single highest-impact intervention is almost always the simplest — bringing outdoor air supply up to BS EN 16798-1 Category II.
From there, the next two interventions cover most remaining ground: AHU cleaning with a filter upgrade to ISO ePM1 50%, and source removal (venting printer banks, switching cleaning chemistry, replacing a recently installed material).
Treatment pathway
How SBS treatment is sequenced
- 1
Stage 01
Quick wins
Raise outdoor air supply to design rate, switch high-VOC cleaning chemistry, vent printer banks, increase filter grade. Implemented within days, measurable IAQ response within a week.
- 2
Stage 02
Targeted engineering
AHU coil and tray clean, supply duct inspection and clean, BMS reconfiguration to match true occupancy. Implemented within 2–4 weeks.
- 3
Stage 03
Material substitution
Where speciated VOC testing identified a specific off-gassing source, the material is replaced or sealed. Decay verified over a 4–8 week window.
- 4
Stage 04
Verification re-test
Repeat continuous IAQ measurement and abbreviated symptom survey to confirm that prevalence is below the WHO threshold and IAQ metrics meet target values.
What does not work
The interventions that waste time and trust
Three responses appear in most failed SBS remediation projects. First, standalone air purifiers presented as a fix — they treat a small fraction of the room volume, do nothing for CO₂, and create a false sense of action. Second, aromatherapy, scenting and odour-masking products that add to the VOC load and obscure the underlying problem. Third, cosmetic responses such as repainting that introduce fresh emissions exactly where the existing emissions need to fall.
SBS is engineering theatre's most reliable trap. The buildings that resolve quickly are the ones where the leadership chooses measurement over reassurance, and remediation over redecoration.
FAQ
SBS treatment — common questions
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