Occupational Illness in the Hospitality

Abstract

In some cases, the poor quality of the air inside a building results in illness for the building's inhabitants. Diverse symptoms are associated with the so-called "sick-building syndrome" (SBS), including eye and throat irritations, respiratory infections, and hypersensitivity reactions. SBS is distinguished from a building-related illness (BRI), such as Legionnaires' disease, by the fact that a BRI can be traced to a specific cause. While SBS symptoms are genuine, in some cases they may be augmented by psychogenic illness, which occurs when stress induces people in a workplace to develop common physical symptoms. SBS is not always triggered by poor maintenance of heating and ventilating systems; it may be caused by the use of specific cleaning chemicals or from new furnishings or floor treatments. Regardless of the cause or nature of the symptoms, management must remedy the situation. Case studies of two Las Vegas hotel-casinos demonstrate that the issues are neither easily diagnosed nor quickly resolved.