Are you suffering from Sick Office Syndrome?

When an officemate sneezes, chances are, other people in the office will catch his/her cold. Back in 1976, there was a disease outbreak at an American Legion convention. They didn’t know whodunit so they simply named it Legionnaire’s disease. But some people blamed it on the recycled air from the air-conditioning system.

The Five-Minute Healer – Easy, Natural Ways to Look and Feel Better Fast by Jane Alexander (available at Goodwill Bookstore) explains it all: "Offices are not particularly healthy places (agree!). Some may even be classified as ‘sick’ – making their inhabitants feel constantly under par and lacking in energy. Many of the materials in modern offices (paint, carpets, furniture) emit toxic fumes. If you are particularly sensitive, they could even make you physically ill."

To combat the Sick Office Syndrome (SOS), the book prescribes the following safety measures:

• Try to work under natural light – reposition your desk by a window or use daylight bulbs. Avoid fluorescent lighting where possible.

• Keep the office well-ventilated. An open window will help discharge toxic fumes. If the weather is inclement, at the very least open the windows for just five minutes before you start work and after lunch.

• Electrical equipment is surrounded by EMFs (electromagnetic fields), which have been linked to insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety, and general ill-health. So it makes sense to keep them unplugged when not in use.

• Position plants by your computer, photocopier, fax, etc. Studies show that certain species of plant can actually remove chemical pollutants – generated by carpets, fiberboard furniture, stain-protected fabrics, and paint – such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichlorethylene from the air. Among these life-enhancing plants are the golden pothos, spider plant, heartleaf philodendron, peace lily, monstrosus cactus, mother-in-law’s tongue, and goosefoot plant.

• Use heating and air conditioning as little as possible. Think about adding another layer of clothing or installing fans to circulate cool air.

• Make sure that any heating and air conditioning is working properly at all times – have it regularly checked and serviced.

• Make your workplace a smoke-free zone – or have one room for smokers.

• Install ionizers to improve the air quality. A fish-tank helps to balance the humidity of the office.

• If you are planning to redecorate your office, use non-toxic paints and solvents. Choose fabrics, flooring, and furniture that have not been treated with chemicals.

• Ask management to switch to environmentally friendly, nontoxic cleaners, detergents, etc. when having the office cleaned.

* * * WHO’s ‘real’ message on mobile phones

Recent press releases say that the World Health Organization (WHO) "insists that mobile phone emissions are safe." Hello! A recent "note for the press" from WHO says that "such statements are a distortion of WHO’s position on the possible health effects of mobile phone use."

A WHO fact sheet, revised in June 2000, reports: "None of the recent reviews have concluded that exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields from mobile phones or their base stations causes any adverse health consequence. However, there are gaps in knowledge that have been identified for further research to better assess health risks. It will take about 3-4 years for the required RF research to be completed, evaluated and to publish the final results of any health risks."

Message sent!

* * * Scary story

A consumer shares a scary pre-Halloween experience.

Dear Consumerline:

I just want to share with you and your readers a scary experience I recently had with my credit card, and how thankful I am that it is one backed by a customer-friendly company such as Citibank.

Early September, I tried to use my Citibank credit card after dining in a restaurant and was told by the waiter that they couldn’t get approval for my bill. Thinking that it was just a system glitch, I tried using it again the following day to settle another restaurant bill and was told the same thing.

Now in a state of mild panic, I headed for Rustan’s – where you can see the Omron machine as the card is swiped – and noted a "Call Card Center" message.

A Citibank officer informed me by phone that they had been trying to reach me at home to warn me that they had blocked my credit card after noting "unusually heavy usage" – several four-figure purchases which amounted to some P100,000! This volume made Citibank suspicious so they blocked the card and attempted to call me several times.

The officer patiently explained to me what could have happened. Apparently, there are several syndicates going around which copy credit card information simply by swiping your card in a small palm-size gadget. I then remembered one time when one waiter took so long to give me back my card – it could have happened then or at any other time when they can "steal" your credit card information in a wink.

By this time, I was already very anxious wondering how I could pay for all those fraudulent purchases. Thankfully, Citibank informed me they would reverse all those transactions and gave me a friendly reminder to secure my credit card hereon.

This is why the next time I went to another restaurant, I didn’t care if the waiter thought I was odd, but I walked with him to the machine and made sure my card was swiped only once.

With my letter, I hope to warn all credit cardholders to take better care of their card – don’t entrust it with anyone or leave it lying around in your office. I also want to thank Citibank and all its officers for their invaluable help from the time the problem was detected. – Angel Ampil, Petron Mega Plaza Bldg. Gil Puyat Ave, Makati