Much of today’s work happens indoors, where hidden risks can quietly build over time. Across construction trailers, manufacturing floors, healthcare campuses, and office wings, employees spend long hours inside buildings that were often built decades ago, expanded in stages, or adapted for new uses over time. That makes workplace radon exposure and indoor air quality part of the workday—whether anyone notices it or not. During Radon Awareness Week (January 24–30), it’s a timely reminder to think about how long-term indoor air exposures like radon affect worker health.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released from soil and rock. It moves upward through the ground and enters buildings through foundation cracks, floor drains, sump pits, and utility openings. Once inside, it can accumulate—especially in lower levels or enclosed spaces—and long-term exposure carries serious health consequences.
Health officials estimate radon contributes to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause among people who have never smoked.
Where Time Indoors Shapes Risk
Radon risk is less about job title and more about time spent inside buildings.
Healthcare professionals working extended shifts. Manufacturing teams operating near ground level. Construction crews occupying newly enclosed or temporary structures as projects progress. In each case, exposure potential increases simply because people are present for long stretches in spaces where radon can build up.
Environmental data shows that nearly 1 in 15 U.S. homes has elevated radon levels, and similar conditions have been documented in schools, hospitals, offices, and industrial facilities across all 50 states. Radon levels can vary widely—even between buildings next door to one another—making testing the only reliable way to understand risk.
A Hidden Risk That Builds Over Time
Radon’s impact isn’t immediate. Its risk grows gradually, over years of exposure, which is why public health experts emphasize early identification and control.
To put the risk in human terms: for every modest increase in long-term radon exposure, the chance of developing lung cancer rises noticeably. International health authorities estimate that sustained exposure at higher levels can raise lung cancer risk by roughly 15–20%, depending on duration and concentration—similar to adding another long-term health risk into the environment where people spend much of their working lives. From a workplace perspective, that makes radon a measurable and manageable risk—especially when addressed early.
“Radon often comes into focus during renovations, expansions, or changes in how space is used,” said Eric Austin, Risk Management Expertise at Amerisure. “Those moments create a natural opportunity to test, assess, and address exposure as part of a broader safety conversation.”
From Testing to Confidence
Public health guidance is consistent on one point: testing is the only way to know radon levels. Short-term tests offer an initial snapshot, while long-term testing provides a clearer picture of ongoing exposure. Radon exposure at work most often occurs in areas closest to the ground—such as basements and lower levels—particularly where ventilation is limited. Because radon has no smell or visible warning signs and levels can change over time, periodic testing of occupied ground-level spaces is essential.
When elevated levels are identified, proven mitigation techniques—such as improved ventilation or sub-slab depressurization systems—can reduce indoor radon levels by as much as 99% when properly designed and installed. Reviewing test results against established action levels helps organizations determine when these straightforward steps can significantly reduce exposure and protect employees’ long-term health.
At Amerisure, Risk Management teams help agents and policyholders consider environmental risks like radon alongside more familiar workplace hazards. That may include guidance on when testing makes sense, how to interpret results, and how indoor air quality fits into broader risk management strategies for construction, manufacturing, and healthcare operations.
This is where awareness turns into confidence—and prevention becomes practical.
A Week to Reassess What Matters
Radon Awareness Week is a reminder that workplace safety extends beyond what’s visible or immediate. It includes the conditions people experience every day, over time, inside the buildings where work gets done. Organizations that address radon proactively protect long-term health, strengthen trust with employees, and demonstrate leadership that looks beyond the obvious.
To learn how Amerisure’s Risk Management experts can help you assess and address radon risks in the workplace, visit Amerisure.com or connect with your Risk Management expert.
The information provided in this newsletter does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice; instead, all information, content, and materials contained in each article are for general informational purposes only.
