When judges and support staff working in the historic Alberta Court of Appeal building in Calgary began experiencing fatigue, respiratory illnesses and eye, ear and nose irritation, they wondered if the famous building in which they worked was causing their multiple health complaints.

It’s not always easy being green. And, without the right occupational hygiene measures incorporated into the workplace, it could be hard on employee health.

That’s an issue that Dr. Karen Bartlett, an associate professor at the University of BC’s School of Environmental Health, is trying to bring to light through her studies and research. The inconvenient truth uncovered by Bartlett is that, while most employees are thrilled by their organizations’ participation in green efforts, they are also experiencing degrees of discomfort, and potential for increased sickness and reduced productivity.

As a young employee at electroplating company M&T Chemical in Hamilton, Ont., Lorraine Shaw developed a rash on her hand. Apparently she was allergic to the nickel she worked with every day. But the rash didn’t only tell her something about her body, and the way she reacts to certain material – it also told her something about her projected career path.

Despite nearly a decade of studies and stakeholder consultations, Canada it is still at least a year or two away from fully implementing and legislating the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), the United Nations-backed system designed to standardize chemicals classification and labelling methods throughout the world.