Skyscraper inhabitants more likely to get sick
Skyscraper inhabitants more likely to get sick
JAKARTA (JP): At least 85 percent of skyscrapers in the city,
mostly those owned by the government, are not well maintained,
posing the threat of illness to the users.
Henri S Chandra, from the Building Care Association, was
quoted by Antara as saying during a press discussion yesterday
that owners of the buildings do not properly maintain them.
According to data at the Municipal Fire Department there are
around 400 high-rise buildings in Jakarta.
Henri said most of the neglected buildings are owned by the
government. He said that in these buildings, rooms were not
properly designed to begin with and, now, they are not being used
safely.
Citing an example, Henri said many fire exits and corridors in
the buildings are obstructed by piles of papers and other goods.
Besides, he said, the buildings are often manned and filled
with goods beyond their safe capacity, a situation which may pose
a danger to the buildings's structure and their occupants well
being.
Meanwhile, Umar Fahmi Achmadi, head of the Environmental
Health Office at the University of Indonesia's (UI) Public Health
School, drew attention to the so-called Skyscraper Syndrome.
Skyscraper Syndrome consists of a group of diseases suffered by
the inhabitants of high-rise buildings. He said that this
condition resulted from a lack of maintenance and sanitation in
the structures.
The syndrome, he said, surfaced in the 70s in the United
States, in the 80s in Japan and in the 90s in Singapore.
"So far there have been no reports about it in Indonesia, nor
has there been a survey on it. It is likely that the syndrome has
already occurred, considering that the number of skyscrapers are
always increasing," said Umar.
Syndrome
The syndrome is evident when a large number of a building's
occupants simultaneously suffer particular symptoms, including
general malaise, stuffed nose, headache, fever, sore throat,
eyes, neck and back injuries, he said.
Fahmi added that piles of paper, curtain, carpet, rays from
photocopiers, and smoke from cigarettes help spread the bacteria
carrying the disease, which can sometimes be lethal.
Fahmi and Henri called the concerned agencies, including the
city administration, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Manpower, to anticipate the syndrome.
The related issue which had earlier surfaced was that around
200 or half of high rise buildings in the city lacked the
necessary fires safety precautions.
The fire department has repeatedly deplored the reluctance on
the part of building owners to improve their safety systems.
The city administration has worked on a regional law stating
that all the buildings must be equipped with the required safety
system by 1995. (jsk)