Identifying Significant Predictors of Sick Building Syndrome in the Office Area of a Fabrication Company

Abstract

Introduction: Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a collection of symptoms or complaints experienced by occupants of modern buildings that are felt by a person when working or doing activities inside the building and disappear when leaving the building. This study was conducted on employees in the office area of a fabrication company. This study aims to determine what factors can influence the emergence of sick building syndrome complaints.

Methods: This study used a quantitative approach by collecting data from SBS questionnaires, PSS-10 questionnaires for work stress, lighting measurements, and secondary data from companies from 70 employees. The effect was tested using binary logistic regression. The variables studied included work mass, smoking habits, lighting, and work stress.

Results: The results of the SBS questionnaire showed that 70% of workers (49 people) experienced SBS symptoms, such as fatigue, drowsiness, and nasal congestion. The factors that influenced this study were smoking habits (p-value = 0.004), lighting (p-value = 0.026), and work stress (p-value = 0.003). Recommendations that can be implemented include adjusting the type of lighting, implementing standard operating procedures regarding smoking bans, implementing a peer support group smoking cessation program, and providing employee suggestion boxes.

Conclusion: This study concludes that smoking habits, substandard lighting, and work stress significantly affect Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms among office workers at fabrication companies. Its implications point to the need for improvements in the work environment to create a healthy and productive workplace.