The setup

Imagine an engineering office occupying a front bay in a flex building near I-25 in Thornton. The bays behind it are used by a small fabrication shop and a distribution tenant. On several afternoons, the office smells of solvents, and two employees complain of mild headaches.

Because symptoms are involved, the first move is to leave the space and let the building's property manager know. Nobody tries to find the source inside.

In this invented example, the follow-up matters as much as the quick fix. A schedule change is easy to forget, so the office keeps its log running for several weeks and shares it with the property manager. If the smell returns on a day when the shop is not coating, the log would point to a second source worth checking.

A possible sequence

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

Solvent smell and mild headaches appear in the office bay on several afternoons.

  1. Staff leave the bay when the smell is strong and the office manager notifies the property manager the same day.
  2. The property manager asks neighboring tenants about recent work and finds the fabrication shop has been using a coating on certain days.
  3. A mechanical contractor reviews the roof and finds the shop's exhaust fan discharges close to the office's rooftop unit intake.
  4. The landlord and the shop agree on scheduling the coating work for hours when the office is closed while a longer-term fix for the intake is studied.
  5. The office keeps a log and confirms the smell does not return on the days the shop is not coating.

Complaints stop once the work is rescheduled, and the landlord plans a permanent change to the intake or discharge location.

Decision points in the story

  • IfStaff report headaches or irritationLeave first, investigate later.
  • IfOdor tracks a neighbor's work hoursLook at exhaust and intake placement on the roof.
  • IfA short-term change fixes itKeep the log going while a permanent fix is evaluated.

What a real office could borrow from the story

  • Report symptoms and leave promptly, then notify the manager
  • Ask what neighbors are permitted to do under their leases
  • Request a roof-level review of exhaust and intake locations
  • Keep dated notes of every instance, including quiet days
  • Confirm any scheduling agreement in writing

Common questions

Is this example based on a real building?
No. It was written as a teaching illustration and is not a report of an actual case.
Would rescheduling always solve a shared-air problem?
Not always. It can help in the short term, but a lasting fix usually involves ventilation changes.

General information for Westminster, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.