Concerning Janet s and Sick Building

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

Thank you for your e-mail and concern for my very dear friend Janet.

I am her best friend and as Janet is not able to be at work right now, I am

acting on her behalf trying to get through all of the red tape involved with

Workers Compensation. It is a very difficult time for her. Between being

very sick and afraid, and the fact that no one at the shipyard seems to be

doing very much for her. She has been told several times that some people

here are trying to help her and are fighting for her, however, no one will

tell her who those people are or how that are helping. This baffles Janet

and myself. Why shouldn't she be told? They wonder why she is angry and

why she feels the way that she does. She has been told to pick her allies

and let them know that she is depending on them. However, it is hard to

decide who they are or if she actually has any.

We realize that Workers Compensation requires evidence of her

allergy to mold and the burden is on her to provide that evidence, however,

it never seems to be enough. She has been told that she has been granted

administrative leave, meaning that she gets a paycheck without it coming

from her annual leave, until 31 December. By that date, she has to apply

for disability retirement, or she will be on leave without pay, or she can

come back to work. No one knows what she be like by that date, however,

based on her present condition, it certainly looks doubtful that she will be

returning to work then.

If anyone that you know has dealt with Federal Workers Compensation

on the mold issue, we would appreciate any information that would make it

easier for Janet. Feel free to contact me at anytime if there is anyway

that I can assist you. I will keep you informed as to Janet's progress in

getting through this very cumbersome and dysfunctional system.

Thank you for all of the work that your coalition is doing to help

all of the people who are suffering from this illness, and again, for your

concern for Janet's condition and progress.

Sincerely,

Dan Maglaras

[Guest guest]

Dear Dan,

I have also corresponded with Janet about her situation. I am also going

through similar problems at my workplace but have been able to continue work,

so far. I have been out sick five times in the last year, the last involved

revision sinus surgery in September. My boss has told me to find another job

as she is worried about my health. She has offered me nothing to accommodate

my problem. The third party insurer has set up an appointment for me to see

an environmental specialist for a second opinion before they approve any

further mold exposure claims. In the State of Washington a private insurer

for a facility does not have to report an illness to Labor & Industries for

up to two years, only an injury is reported immediately.

I gathered enough courage to bring all of my information into a WISHA

inspector(OSHA) in this state. He read it all, looked at many pictures of

stained or saturated ceiling tiles and called me to tell me that as I was the

only one complaining obviously it was not a significant problem. He said that

they do not inspect for stained ceiling tiles.Strange,in the WISHA reg's it

stated that they would inspect if there was a history of water intrusion

(over 10 years at out place),numerous stained tiles which were there for

years, and obvious history of diagnosed conditions of asthma, chronic

sinusitis,GERD,etc.He also said that the facility does not have to tell the

staff what is present in their environment.EPA states that occupants of an

area should be kept informed of conditions and any remediation done, if it is

done.

I told him to hold his letter and wait for the Unions. Staff found out what

happened with me and contacted their Unions who are finally mobilizing. I am

a manager thus have had no support from anyone except the Doctors who have

also been stonewalled. The area that I had complained of last winter is a

mess again as the rains have begun and the lawn above the locker area is

saturated and the water is seeping into the locker area. I am out of there

but others have been sickened in the past week.

My Pulmonologist wanted to put me on disability but he agreed that hopefully

once I get out of this tainted environment I will heal.

Eileen