Posted By Saracen11 Hello. I have been asked to source a machine to test the presence/amount of Oxygen in an office environment. My gut reaction is that if a person manages to walk from the office at 5pm, with facial colour intact and without the need to be resuscitated... then there's sufficient Oxygen present!? That said, is there a gadget that can measure the amounts so i can at least show my fearful colleagues something on paper (a reading maybe?) that they are in fact still alive and will be for some time (one would hope?!) I've already measured the temperature and humidity - both are fine. Regards

Posted By Saracen11 Hi Rachael. The underlying issues are that there is little or no exchange of air. Although the windows open, they don't provide a sufficient circulation of fresh air due to the poor design of the building. There are alterations to the building on the horizon but evidence of a physical measurement would satisfy the holders of the purse strings their money is being well spent... Regards

Posted By Graeme Barrie It is unlikely oxygen levels are going to poses a problem, at least CO2 is more likely to be a problem first... CO2 is probably easier to monitor too, fuel cells in O2 monitors don't last too long.

Posted By David J Jones Saracen, You indicate the problem seems to lie with an insufficient circulation of fresh air leading to a "stuffy" environment. Have you considered using floor standing fans, set to low speed, to achieve circulation? Not a cure I know, but may go a long way to alleviating the problem. David

Posted By James365 Whilst air circulation is an important factor when considering indoor air quality (IAQ), It's only one factor which can give rise to sick building syndrome (SBS). Lack of fresh air is the primary cause of SBS, which can see employees exhibit symptoms such as headaches, eye, nose, and throat irritation, dry or itchy skin, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and loss of concentration. Other causes of poor IAQ (and possibly SBS) can include problems with ventilation systems, poor air circulation (stagnant air), poorly managed temperature and humidity levels and contamination (internal or external - e.g. fume from new carpets, furniture or printers, or make-up air being contaminated with traffic fumes). In terms of looking at the oxygen levels, I would agree that the more effective method would be to measure CO2 levels. If the levels exceed 1,000ppm it is likely that the provisions in place need to be looked at (although people won't be dropping dead at even ten times that level!). Well done on trying to do something about this possible concern, which I have seen dismissed or trivialised on many ocassions, to the detriment of the workplace.

Posted By Adrian Watson Go to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/largebldgs/baqtoc.html and download the publication. This gives guidance on identifying and resolving IAQ problems. Regards Adrian