7 Custodians Sickened While Cleaning School

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7 Custodians Sickened While Cleaning School

Click 2 Houston.com - Houston,TX*

September 2, 2007

http://www.click2houston.com/news/14031333/detail.html

HOUSTON -- Seven custodians were treated and released at a local

hospital after they were sickened while cleaning a northeast Houston

school, officials told KPRC Local 2 Saturday.

Mold was found in an annex building at Key Middle School on Thursday

after two workers fell ill and were hospitalized.

Cleanup crews went to the school on Friday.

Houston Independent School District spokesman Terry Abbott said the

custodians were not cleaning mold when the incident happened.

Seven of 15 custodians were sickened, but they were not the only

ones.

" Even the principal herself broke out, " custodian Fred Holloway said.

The principal and assistant principal left the school and appeared

to be coughing and having trouble breathing. One of them reached for

her inhaler.

The president of the union that represents school custodians said

the building is not safe.

" You can actually smell the mold and smell some of the areas that

they went in there and tried to clean up the area with Clorox, "

Houston Educational Support Personnel Union President Wretha

said.

Abbott said fumes from the bleach made the custodians sick. They

have all been treated and released from the hospital and cleared to

return to work, Abbott said.

Abbott said the school district aggressively finds and cleans mold.

He said the building would be cleaned and ready for students on

Tuesday.

said she is not sure how safe the students will be.

" No kids are in that classroom, but they have kids in the classroom

next to those sick rooms, " she said.

Abbott said studies have not shown unusual amounts of mold in the

building.

Three air conditioning units were stolen from the school during the

summer. Abbott said those thefts hampered the district's ability to

keep the building cool during the summer break.

Custodians said more should be done.

" People are getting sick and this is a serious matter, " Holloway

said. " This is nothing to play with because you're playing with

people's lives. "

Union representatives said they plan to rally in front of the school

on Tuesday morning.