Mould in Leupold concerns profs

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Mould in Leupold concerns profs

The Cord Weekly - Waterloo,Ontario,Canada*

Carlson

News Editor

Profs felt left in the dark regarding the university's response to

air quality reports done on their temporary office space

http://www.cordweekly.com/archives/2112

Mould growing from the tiles and walls, water damage to the rooms,

strange smells lingering in the bathrooms, and a lack of air

conditioning in the hot summer months – these are only some of the

complaints of faculty who had their offices relocated to the Euler

and Leupold residences this past year during the construction on the

Dr. Alvin Woods Building (DAWB).

The mould problem in particular was so concerning for one sociology

professor that after experiencing health problems, his doctor

recommended that the university do an air quality test in the

building to ensure that it was a safe work environment.

" We took a sample and [the mould levels] were above the outdoor

concentrations, but they were not really unusually high, " said

Kibbee, manager of environmental and occupational health

and safety at WLU.

The air quality report noted that the fungi, Cladosporium, which was

identified in the Leupold office, could be a result of the mould

growth discovered in the floor and walls, or simply from the high

levels of dust found in the office space.

Because the faculty is only residing in the building temporarily,

the external consultant suggested letting the current inhabitants

finish their term in the building, but stressed that a further

investigation should be done before the new tenants come to occupy

the space in September.

Kibbee also explained that despite the fact that the mould growth

may be concerning, there are no strict rules the university needs to

abide by when it comes to determining what appropriate asbestos

levels are.

" There is not a regulation for mould; there are only guidelines, "

said Kibbee.

Though the report determined that the building was satisfactory to

inhabit, Dr. Jim Hicks, a doctor at Health Services explains that

certain individuals can experience health difficulties if they spend

an extended time in an environment with high concentrations of

mould.

" With mould, some people are allergic to it and allergies can

trigger a major asthma attack, " said Hicks.

Hicks added that those who are hypersensitive to fungi, suffer from

allergies, or have asthma are especially prone to health problems

when they dwell in mould-infested environments.

" When they say [the mould] is non-toxic, it doesn't mean someone

can't react to it, but they will be the exception to the rule, "

explained Hicks.

LEUPOLD OFFICE UL-131 - A residence building converted into a

temporary office during renovations shows its wear.

With some faculty who resided in the Euler and Leupold buildings for

the past year expressing concerns about feeling sicker than usual

since moving offices, Hicks explains that identifying the exact

causes of such claims can be a very sensitive and difficult task.

" You have A and you have B and whether A and B cause one another is

always an issue, " Hicks said.

Dr. Weldon, an English professor at Laurier, has spent the

past year working in the Leupold residence and though he didn't

personally feel any health effects, he is concerned that the

university has kept the faculty in the dark regarding issues with

the office space.

" [The university] has a responsibility to advise people if the

health conditions aren't up to standard. You can't just let it go

and not say anything, " said Weldon.

Aside from the mould, Weldon said there have been other problems

with the office space that the university has been very slow to

address when he and others made complaints.

" In the men's washroom upstairs, it was nauseating and that was for

three months and nothing was done, " said Weldon. " You could walk in

there and if you had an allergy you were lucky if you weren't rushed

to emergency, " he added.

Though the air quality test came back as acceptable, Weldon still

feels that the university could be doing more to communicate with

the inhabitants about issues that concern them.

" A university has an ethical obligation to ensure a healthy, safe

working environment for everybody, " said Weldon. " It is alarming

[when they don't advise you of issues] and you wonder what else is

out there that you don't know about. "

Dr. Debra Nash-Chambers, a contract academic staff in the history

department, also spent the last year in the Leupold residence and

said that the past year has been a difficult one for the majority of

her colleagues.

" There had always been concerns in the building from the

administrative staff and other staff periodically, " said Nash-

Chambers. " The general quality of life in relation to heating and

ventilation are concerns, " she added.

With students set to move back into the building in September, Nash-

Chambers hopes that the university will take the recommendations of

the air quality report seriously.

" I would think now that there's been a report, and the fact that

this building is being turned back into a residence, [the

university] should be expeditious to alleviate the concerns of

parents and students, " said Nash-Chambers.

After just recently receiving a copy of the air quality report,

which was conducted back in February, , manager of

facilities operations at WLU, ensures that the problem " most

definitely " will be looked into in the coming months.

" Once the faculty are out of there we'll do a thorough investigation

prior to students returning and any remediation work that has to get

done, we'll make sure it gets done, " said .