Examination of Sick Leave Absences from Work in Buildings with Various Rates of Ventilation

Sick leave records of sample populations of workers in seven office buildings were examined for evidence of correlation between average absence rates and rates of supply of outdoor air for ventilation: no such significant relationship exists in the samples studied. Other relationships were noted, suggesting that the incidence of minor illness depends on complex factors, which may be relat ed to the workplace or to external circumstances or both.