It’s amazing to us at AllerAir, how some businesses still don’t consider Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) to be worthy of attention. Despite the studies, the news stories and even reports* that claim that the cost of lost work combined with annual health care costs accrued by poor IAQ add up to an astounding $70 billion dollars per year in lost revenues for American businesses, many employers are still turning a blind eye.
But the Benton County Assessor’s Office isn’t—- at least, it isn’t any longer.
Four employees who had claimed the county building they used to work in made them sick have just been given a $20,000 settlement.
One of those employees, Evelyn Campbell, retired two years early because of health problems including swollen legs, a ruptured ankle tendon and other health issues, which she attributes to poor air quality. Campbell says she and the others will be using the money gained in the settlement to pay her medical bills.
A total of five assessor’s office employees had letter from doctors saying they “should not be in this office.”
County staff still maintained that the building didn’t pose a health threat. But while county commissioners did not accept liability, they did agree to move the office to a new location.
Despite not being in the building since May, many of the employees continue to have health issues. Several medical claims are still pending.
And perhaps most interesting to other employers who are turning a blind eye to IAQ, is that while all the employees who were working in the building experienced health problems, only four individuals had hired an attorney to negotiate with the county.
What do you want to bet this isn’t the last settlement that the Benton County will be dishing out for air quality complaints?
For information of providing healthy air in your home or business, visit www.allerair.com or contact one of AllerAir’s IAQ Experts at 1.888.852.8247.
*Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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