Everyone likes the smell of a newly constructed office building with all new materials and fresh paint, much like everyone likes the smell of a new car. But what you smell are VOCs, and that’s not good for indoor air quality.
Many building materials contain a high level of VOCs (or Volatile Organic Compounds) that are trapped inside buildings once construction has been completed. Paint, paint thinner, adhesives, caulking, MDF, ceiling tiles, and many other materials used to construct buildings all contain VOCs. Volatile Organic Compounds are the toxic chemicals that are gradually released-called ‘off-gassing’-into new buildings’ indoor air, potentially resulting in respiratory and other health complications for office workers.
It is estimated that off-gassing takes about one year to complete, which is why careful steps must be taken to ensure appropriate indoor air quality for office workers during that time, and beyond. The Canadian government’s Public Works and Government Services has a series of recommendations for building and property managers to enact to ensure that “there are not likely to be contaminants at concentrations leading to exposures that pose a significant health risk.”
In addition to construction supplies, VOCs-like ammonia and formaldehyde-commonly occur in many cleaning supplies. Sunshine makes it a strong operating principle to use only environmentally friendly equipment and products, whenever possible, for the cleaning of buildings that have recently been constructed to reduce a new building’s VOCs.
Sunshine carefully sources certified products that meet well-established environmental health and safety criteria of recognized certification programs (like the Green Seal and Eco-Logo) that have been developed with the end-user in mind. This way, Sunshine cleans your new office building while contributing positively to improved office air quality.
>> Contact us today to discover how we can effectively clean your building after construction to remove all traces of construction residue.
