With China's growth continuing at a fast pace, sometimes the imperative to capitalize on expanding markets can have negative aspects. Companies can be so focused on the bottom line that sometimes they neglect the health of their employees.

A public relations professional in Beijing surnamed Wang recalled that one of her former employers was so eager to get into a newly renovated building they rushed straight in although it was full of toxic fumes.

"The management's only solution was to put pineapples everywhere," she said. Their aroma neutralized the chemical smell, Wang explained. 

According to Song Guangsheng, chief engineer with the China Indoor Environment Monitoring Committee, office buildings can be the source of a variety of pollutants. Synthetic building and interior decoration materials and furniture can give off vapors causing asthma, allergic reactions and other illnesses.

"It can be a big project to drive away the chemical vapors," he said. "But the easiest way is surely to open the window and to let fresh air in." It also helped to have plants in the office environment, he explained. 

China Daily reported earlier in the year that doctors had encountered health problems related to office air quality so often that they have defined "bad air office syndrome" as a medical condition.

In samples of air quality in several high-grade office buildings in Beijing last year the China National Interior Decoration Association found that 81 percent of locations exceeded the safety levels for ammonia, 50 percent for ozone and 42 percent for formaldehyde. The excess of these chemicals can cause illnesses such as humidifier fever, Legionnaires' disease and asthma.

Other sources of office building pollution include nearby construction sites, electronic appliances and poor ventilation which allows hazardous particles to concentrate in small office spaces.

Health hazards at the workplace are related not only to air quality or poor management. The technological features of the modern workplace while increasing productivity can also lead to medical problems. 

Dr Marie Shieh, director of the Family Medicine Department at Beijing United Family Hospital, said her clinic was seeing an increasing number of health problems related to the use of computers. When using the machines "people get stuck to their chair," she said.

If workers don't periodically get up and move around they can easily develop strains in their backs, heads and necks.

Excessive use of laptop computers has been identified as being especially harmful since where they're located is not easily modified. Laptops force users to continually look down at their screens and the result is that they have their necks at an awkward angle.

Dr Loretta Dobbelsteyn, a physiotherapist and manager of physical and alternative medicine at Beijing United Family Hospital said, "It's incredibly difficult to maintain good posture with a laptop." Computer usage required maintaining an unnatural "forward-flexed position" which can lead to repetitive strain injury, she added, "Most people aren't aware of what that does to their posture and their health."

She recommends that patients stand at their computer stations if possible and suggests that workers "change things" and vary their physical activity or posture at work. "The body loves movement," she said. The doctor added that exercise was always good. "If you are stronger you cope better," she observed.

In an encouraging sign Dobbelsteyn said she was seeing a renewed interest among Beijing companies in improving office ergonomics. Last year she gave five talks at company offices though the majority of them were foreign. 

Health hazards in office environments also include overworking which may well be endemic to China as companies scramble to make the best of business opportunities.

Wang, who has worked in white-collar environments in Beijing for eight years, said she once fell ill due to work-related stress and was hospitalized for half a day. Amazingly, even while lying in bed hooked up to an IV machine her boss called her up.

"The common practice is that companies push and push almost to the edge," she said. "There's a lack of qualified professionals in Beijing. Markets are expanding so fast that companies aren't able to catch up. They don't have enough resources to provide sufficient training for their new employees so they end up pushing the ones they have."

(China Daily October 13, 2006)