(NC) — Health Canada reports that Canadians spend about 90 percent of their time inside, so we should all be concerned about indoor materials that release chemicals that can negatively affect human health.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety calls indoor air quality “an important workplace health and safety issue”. They say energy conservation measures have led to airtight building construction and ventilation systems that minimize the amount of fresh air coming in, and that this allows a build-up of air contaminants within the building.

People working indoors often experience symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, coughing, or nausea. Poor indoor air quality can eventually lead to allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems.

The best way to reduce indoor air pollution is to control the sources. Paints, cleaning products, glues, insulation, carpets, fabrics and other products are all sources of indoor pollution, and there are low-emission alternatives for most of them.

For office furniture, two independent, third-party organizations certify products: Scientific Certifications Systems (SCS) and the Greenguard Environmental Institute. Products are tested to ensure that their chemical emissions meet acceptable pollutant guidelines.

Keri Luly, sustainability programs manager for Allsteel, a furniture manufacturer, says buyers concerned about emissions should select furniture that has a certificate from one of these organizations.

“Ask to see a certificate for a specific product with dates that cover the time period when the furniture was manufactured,” she says.

Improvements in the indoor air environment can increase employee morale and productivity and reduce health care costs. Having certified furniture and other products also helps companies meet the indoor air quality requirements of Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI).

“Protecting employee health and the planet is on everyone's mind,” says Sandra Vyse, furniture sales manager for Staples Advantage (www.staplesadvantage.ca). “We work with 13 different furniture manufacturers and each one holds certifications from the most respected organizations in this field. That's how we choose to do business, but that's also what our customers want. They tend to be educated buyers who ask all the right questions.”