Volusia jail workers: Mold makes us sick

[Guest guest]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/orl-locmold13061303jun13,0,7082553.story?coll=orl-news-headlines

Volusia jail workers: Mold makes us sickBy A. CaldwellSentinel Staff WriterJune 13, 2003Toxic molds at the Volusia County Branch Jail are making workers sick, a lawyer representing about 100 employees said.The culprit, DeLand attorney Mark Zimmerman said, is mold lurking inside the jail at levels that Zimmerman called "alarming.""The branch jail has been plagued [with moisture problems] since it was built over 15 years ago," Zimmerman said. "It shouldn't be any surprise that mold growth is rampant."Zimmerman said his clients, about one-third of the jail's more than 300 employees, have complained about a wide array of illnesses, including respiratory problems and skin rashes. As of last week, 46 employees had filed workers' compensation complaints.County officials said they have found no evidence that the building is making employees sick.But Hauser, Zimmerman's first client, said he became ill about a year after he started working at the jail in 1990.He said the symptoms grew increasingly worse until last year, when the 38-year-old husband and father had to go on leave."Some days . . . I do enough to feed myself and keep going," Hauser said. "I am just tired, fatigued all the time."Zimmerman hired Lipsey, a ville toxicologist, to test for mold inside the jail May 15. According to a brief report, Lipsey said he found "most of the toxic mold groups."Lipsey said exposure to molds can cause ear, nose and throat irritation, while prolonged exposure can lead to more severe health problems, including chronic bronchitis, asthma and some forms of cancer.Dave Byron, a Volusia County spokesman, said Thursday that county officials have tested for mold but found no problems. Preliminary results from subsequent tests by an Orlando company also revealed no toxic molds, but final results have not been returned. Results from a third round of tests are expected in about 45 days."We have no evidence of a sick building," Byron said.Byron did acknowledge that the jail has long had problems with water seeping in from the floor and the ceiling. When the jail opened in 1987, roof and ceiling leaks were rampant, with as much as 4 inches of water collected in cells.Byron said those problems were repaired, and new leaks are managed and cleaned.The county ordered the mold tests to ensure that jail employees are working in as safe a place as possible, Corrections Director Hickey said. And until he is shown otherwise, he is confident that the jail is clean."I'm not going to work in a sick building," Hickey said. "We feel very confident that our building is clean." A. Caldwell can be reached at acaldwell@... or 386-851-7924.

Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel