Health and Safety ReportVol 23, Issue 10

On Monday morning, Maryam settled into her office with a fresh coffee and a long to-do list. By mid-afternoon, her eyes were stinging, her throat felt scratchy, and she was fighting off a dull headache. She let her supervisor know that she felt like she may be getting a cold and went home to reduce the spread. Strangely, her symptoms disappeared after she got home and didn’t return until she was back in the building.

After experiencing this pattern for a few days, Maryam noticed some coworkers also coughing and rubbing their eyes and began to suspect it might have something to do with the building. She decided to speak with her supervisor about her concerns. As a result, the employer opened an investigation into the indoor air quality of the building. 

Why indoor air quality matters

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to how good or bad the air is inside a building. It is influenced by ventilation, construction materials, outdoor air, furnishings, equipment, products, climate, and the people who use the space.

Good indoor air quality is free of unacceptable levels of contaminants and provides a comfortable environment in terms of temperature, humidity, and circulation, which helps people focus on their work and reduces stress. When indoor air quality is poor, effects can range from minor irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat to fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath and nausea. Workers experiencing these symptoms may have difficulties getting through the day.

Common trouble sources

Workplaces contain many potential sources of contamination. Building materials, carpets, and office equipment can emit gases into the air. Cleaning products, paints, and adhesives often give off strong odours and vapours. Damp areas may lead to mould and bacteria growth, while dust and fibres can circulate through ventilation systems. Even smells from food, perfume, or tobacco can make working conditions uncomfortable.

In some cases, more serious health issues may develop from exposure to asbestos, radon, carbon monoxide, or bacteria such as Legionella.

Recognizing the signs

Symptoms of poor air quality often feel like a cold or flu. Workers may feel congested, tired, dizzy, or nauseous after several hours indoors, only to feel better when they leave the building. If several people in the same area report similar issues, especially when symptoms improve after weekends or holidays, consider air quality a possible cause.

Encourage workers to keep track of when their symptoms start and stop, and to report concerns to their supervisor, health and safety committee or representative. These reports may be the first indications of a larger issue, so treat them seriously.

Investigating concerns

Start with a walk-through of the workplace, paying close attention to ventilation systems, moisture, or mould growth. Use information from workers about their symptoms to look for patterns. Are the symptoms more common in one area? Do they get worse during the day, or appear after activities like waxing or painting? Tools such as worker health surveys, walk-through checklists, and assessment and resolution flowcharts can help. Maintenance records related to ventilation systems and general building upkeep may also be helpful when investigating indoor air quality issues. If the source is difficult to identify, calling in a qualified consultant may be necessary.

Strategies for better air

Improving indoor air quality involves tackling the source of contamination and understanding the way people use the space. Health Canada recommends starting at the source to identify, eliminate, or isolate the source of air contaminants before there’s an air quality issue. Address leaks promptly before mould has a chance to grow. When purchasing new products, employers can choose cleaning products, carpets, furniture, and equipment with low emissions.

When sources can’t be eliminated or removed, local exhaust systems can vent contaminants outside where they are created, such as in kitchens, restrooms, or storage rooms. Ventilation also plays an important role by bringing in fresh outdoor air to dilute contaminants in the indoor air. This step is especially useful during activities like painting or cleaning with strong chemicals. Ensuring good outdoor air quality at ventilation intakes also helps to keep indoor air clean. Keep them clear of idling vehicles, designated smoking areas, waste storage, or other contaminants. Ventilation works best when combined with other measures that control contaminants at the source.

Practical steps can also reduce exposure. For instance, employers can schedule tasks like stripping and waxing floors on weekends, allowing vapours to clear before workers return. Air cleaning systems, such as filters in ventilation systems can help capture particles, though removing gases usually requires more complex equipment.

Finally, education brings everything together. When workers understand where contaminants come from, how ventilation works, and what actions to take if they suspect an issue, they can help improve air quality and protect their own health.

Legal duties and standards

In Canada, most jurisdictions do not have specific laws on indoor air quality for non-industrial workplaces. However, under the “general duty clause,” employers must provide a safe and healthy environment, which includes ensuring acceptable air quality. There may also be specific requirements to investigate complaints and correct issues. Guidance is available from building codes, standards such as ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, and Health Canada’s guidance on improving indoor air quality in office buildings and reference levels for indoor contaminants. Your jurisdiction may also have indoor air quality reference guidelines prepared.

Improving indoor air quality requires a combination of prevention and response. Choose materials and equipment that release fewer contaminants, ensure ventilation systems are supplying enough outdoor air, and schedule tasks like painting or cleaning at times when fewer people are present. Be sure to maintain filters and exhaust systems to keep contaminants from spreading. Workers can help by using products responsibly, keeping work areas clean and dry, and reporting any leaks, dampness, or unusual odours promptly. A workforce that knows how to recognize early signs and communicate concerns will help ensure good indoor air quality for everyone.

Resources

• Indoor Air Quality, CCOHS
• Indoor Air Quality – Legislation, CCOHS
• Legionnaires’ disease, CCOHS
• Air contaminants and health, Government of Canada
• Indoor Air Quality Guide, CCOHS
• Guidance on Improving Indoor Air Quality in Office Buildings, Government of Canada

Before working with chemicals and other substances, it's important to know the risks involved and how to protect everyone exposed to them. Not only can chemicals affect the health of your workers, but flammable and explosive substances can also pose a risk to physical safety, resulting in fires and explosions. Injuries and illnesses include everything from eye irritations and burns to organ damage and cancer. If you have chemicals in the workplace, these control measures can help reduce the risks associated with chemical exposures.

• Perform a hazard and risk assessment. Assess your workplace to identify chemical hazards, evaluate the risk to your workers, and introduce measures following the hierarchy of controls to address each hazard. A competent team who has a good working knowledge of your operations should complete the assessment.
• Choose safer chemical products, if possible. Take inventory of the products in your workplace and consider replacing chemicals with less or non-hazardous alternatives. A hazard assessment should be done to decide if another product is an appropriate alternative.
• Enhance ventilation. Proper ventilation systems can help prevent the inhalation of fumes, vapours, and dust in your workplace. Opening windows and doors can naturally enhance air flow. Mechanical options, like fans and other exhaust equipment, also help improve indoor air quality. Consider which type of ventilation is appropriate for your workplace and chemical usage.
• Ensure workers follow safe work procedures. Workers should know and understand standard operating procedures, including reading safety data sheets and labels before working with hazardous products. They should also know how to safely store chemicals, especially flammable and reactive substances.
• Audit your chemical safety program. Workers have the right to know about the chemicals they may be exposed to in the workplace. Ensure that workers know how to work with chemicals safely, and how to respond to emergencies. For hazardous products, check to make sure you are meeting WHMIS requirements around product classification, labelling, safety data sheets, and worker education and training.
• Have an emergency response plan in place. Train workers on what to do in the case of a chemical spill or exposure, including who to contact, how to contain the incident, and safe clean-up or decontamination procedures.
• Install eye wash stations and safety showers. In the event of skin and eye exposures, the first 10 to 15 seconds are critical. Having a first-aid response plan in place and an immediate means to decontaminate can help lower the risk of a serious injury, like a chemical burn.
• Know the limits. Understand the occupational exposure limits for chemicals in your industry and region and proactively measure airborne concentrations in your workplace. Levels at or above the limit can increase the risk of adverse health effects.
• Make sure workers have the right protective gear for the job. Provide workers with properly fitting personal protective equipment, which may include chemical-resistant gloves, safety goggles, face shields, coveralls, and fit-tested respirators. Train workers to know when personal protective equipment is necessary, how to properly put it on and take it off, how to recognize defects, when replacement is required, and how to maintain and dispose of the equipment safely.

Working with chemicals can come with significant health and safety risks. By taking a proactive approach, you can help prevent exposure to risks and protect your workers.

CCOHS Resources

• Working Safely with Chemicals Infographic
• Implementing a Chemical Safety Program Manual
• Emergency Response Planning Manual
• WHMIS Pictograms poster

If you’re a workplace leader looking to protect and promote the psychological health and safety of your team, now’s a good time to use the free online tool, Psychologically Safe Team Assessment. It’s easier than ever to share assessment results and help everyone take action on improving team cohesion, inclusion and resilience. 

Introducing the Team Report 

• While the Full Report is packed with strategies and resources to help leaders take action, the new Team Report is a results-only version you can easily share with your team. 

• The Team Report also suggests next steps for team members, such as sharing their thoughts on how they can help improve the team experience. 

• Both the Full Report and Team Report are accessible from the account dashboard once an assessment closes.  

Learn more about the Psychologically Safe Team Assessment and create an account to get started at https://psychologicallysafeteam.com/. 

This tool is part of a suite of free resources to help advance psychological health and safety at work, made available through a partnership between Canada Life’s Workplace Strategies for Mental Health and CCOHS. 

Our podcast episodes help you stay current and informed about workplace health, safety, and well-being in Canada.

Featured podcast: Psychological Health and Safety in Action

When thinking about workplace health and safety, physical safety is usually top of mind. But for a workplace to be truly healthy and safe, psychological safety is also an essential component. Troy Winters, National Health and Safety Coordinator for CUPE, joins us to discuss what that looks like in practice.

Listen to the podcast now. 

Encore podcast: The Gender Gap in Personal Protective Equipment

There are consequences to a one-size-fits-all approach to personal protective equipment. In this episode, occupational and public health consultant Anya Keefe discusses the lack of representation and the need to consider gender and sex in the production and availability of personal protective equipment.

Listen to the podcast now. 

See the complete list of podcast topics or, better yet, subscribe to the series on iTunes or Spotify and don't miss a single episode.

Do you need to deepen your understanding of preventing and responding to harassment and violence in a federally regulated work place?

We’ve updated three courses to help employers, managers, health and safety committees and representatives, designated recipients, and employees understand their roles and responsibilities under the Canada Labour Code, Part II, including the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. These include:

• Harassment and Violence Prevention for Designated Recipients and Employers
• Harassment and Violence Prevention for Managers and Committees/Representatives
• Harassment and Violence Prevention for Employees

Everyone in Canada is entitled to a work place free from harassment and violence. These courses can help you reduce the risk in your organization.

We’re now accepting applications for the Dick Martin Scholarship Award. The contest is open to any college or university student enrolled in an occupational health and safety course or program leading to an occupational health and safety related certificate, diploma, or degree. 

Two students will be awarded a $3,000 prize (and their academic institutions will be gifted $500). To be considered, students must complete an online application, submit a cover letter outlining their aspirations of obtaining a career in the health and safety industry, and submit an essay on one of two topics related to occupational health and safety: 

• Prevention Essay: Choose a high-risk workplace hazard. How would you work to solve and create awareness about the issue?

• Technical Essay: Research an existing or emerging hazard or risk (coverage may include how to identify, assess, and control the risks).

We will accept applications until January 31, 2026. Scholarship rules, essay criteria, and other guidelines are available on our website at: www.ccohs.ca/scholarships/dmartin. Winners will be announced in early Spring 2026.

Don’t let hazards haunt your workplace. Register for our free webinar and take action towards a safer, healthier environment for your team.

Workplace Hazards: Frighteningly Common, Easily Preventable

Wednesday, October 29, 2025
11 am EDT
45 minutes

From slips and trips to chemical exposure and hazardous energy, the risks that lurk in everyday work environments could lead to serious injuries if left unaddressed.

Join CCOHS for a special spooky season webinar where you’ll learn practical strategies and preventive measures to keep your workplace safe.

Live French audio interpretation will be available.

Space is limited, register now. Download the poster. 

Looking for health and safety information, tools and resources that are relevant to your industry and location?

Join CCOHS as we showcase the latest version of the CCOHS Business Safety Portal, including how to effortlessly set up an account, discover industry and jurisdiction specific resources, and store it all in one easy-to-use location.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Online via Zoom
11 am EDT I 30 minutes 

This session will only be offered in English.

Register for the information session.