'High-rise buildings not healthy'

'High-rise buildings not healthy'

JAKARTA: Most high-rise buildings in the country have an
unhealthy working environment that could render psychological
distress or cause respiratory diseases among the people working
there, a government official says.

Director of Water Hygiene and Sanitation Hening Darpito at the
Ministry of Health said during a health seminar here on Monday
that modern buildings, with closed airconditioned rooms and
utilizing synthetic construction materials, have poor air
circulation so they become host to microbiological organisms such
as bacteria and fungus.

Such organisms can cause Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), such as
respiratory problems, headaches, rashes and lethargy, or Building
Related Illness (BRI) like allergies and infections.

A building can be considered unhealthy if 20 percent of its
tenants experience SBS or BRI symptoms without any clear causes,
and the symptoms disappear when they leave the building.

A report in Singapore showed that so far, there have been 43
SBS and BRI cases, of which four have died.

In Indonesia, a survey on several Jakarta hotels showed that
20 percent contained legionella bacteria, which causes pneumonia.
-- JP