The Health Hazards of Humidity in the Workplace

What's the average humidity level of your workplace? There's humidity in all indoor spaces. Humidity is simply moisture vapor that floats in the air. With that said, some workplaces are more humid than others. While high humidity may sound harmless enough, it can pose several health hazards when ignored. Below are some of the top health hazards of high humidity in the workplace.

Increased Risk of Heat Illness

In some cases, high humidity in the workplace can increase the risk of heat illness. Heat illness consists of heat stroke, heat exhaustion and other illnesses attributed to heat exposure. If your workplace lacks air conditioning, high humidity can increase your risk of heat illness.

With high humidity, your body may struggle to cool itself. Our bodies are normally capable of cooling themselves through perspiration. Perspiration means that you'll sweat to release your body's heat. High humidity, however, can restrict your body's ability to release heat through perspiration. Moisture vapor will remain trapped in the air, so your body won't be able to release as much heat by sweating.

Increased Risk of Dehydration

It may sound strange, but working in a humid workplace can increase your risk of dehydration. It's estimated that roughly three in four Americans are chronically dehydrated. When dehydrated, you may experience other problems such as fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps and general malaise.

Dehydration is more common when working in humid environments as opposed to dry environments. If your workplace is excessively humid, you'll sweat more. Sweating is a natural response that occurs when your body tries to cool itself. The problem with high humidity is that your body won't be able to release a sufficient amount of heat through this biological process. Therefore, you'll continue to sweat while staying hot. This means the risk of dehydration increases in humid workplaces.

Increased Risk of Allergies

Another health hazard of high humidity in the workplace is an increased risk of allergies. Pollen isn't the only substance that can trigger allergy attacks. Mold spores have been known to cause allergy attacks as well. Mold, of course, thrives in moist and humid environments. If your workplace is humid, it may have high concentrations of mold spores that place you and other workers at an increased risk of allergies.

Even if you don't suffer from a mold allergy, exposure to high humidity may still cause irritation. Mold spores are harsh on the lungs and airways. Therefore, many people experience respiratory irritation when exposed to them.