Andrew, who is with Desso, wrote this look at occupational asthma in the USA and the role of carpeting in improving indoor air quality. Desso has been designing and manufacturing carpet for almost 80 years. The company has factories in Europe and its products can be found in commercial and public buildings worldwide. Desso has also adopted Cradle to Cradle® design principles. Increasingly, commercial projects are being fitted out to achieve environmental ratings. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced in May 2007 that projects seeking certification under the LEED Green Building Rating System can earn up to four ‘Innovation in Design’ points by using Cradle to Cradle® certified products www.desso.com.
Modern evidence suggests we cannot separate our working lives from the working environment. We respond instinctively to our surroundings at a human level and if those surroundings fail to meet our basic needs, we can be made sick by them.