Update - HISD's costs for Key illness rising

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Oct. 31, 2007, 6:34AM

HISD's costs for Key illness rising

80% of staff file workers' comp claims

Houston Chronicle, TX*

By ERICKA MELLON

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5259705.html

The controversy over possible contaminants at Key Middle School has

cost taxpayers more than $127,000 since August, and the tab could

rise as employees incur more medical expenses that they blame on

mold.

Eighty-eight employees from Key — about 80 percent of the staff —

have filed workers' compensation claims with the Houston Independent

School District. Almost all said they were in good health before

falling ill at the northeast Houston campus, and the most common

symptoms reported were skin rashes, difficulty breathing and

headaches, according to a Houston Chronicle review of the claims.

The district has not denied any of the claims, although officials

continue to say they cannot pinpoint the cause of the ailments. So

far, HISD has paid $22,626 to cover employees' medical bills, time

off from work and a doctor to review the claims.

" While I can't find a cause for their illness, I also can't say that

there is nothing that could have caused the allergic reaction that

some of these people might be complaining of, " said Brad ,

HISD's general manager of risk management, which includes workers'

compensation.

Burton, a workplace safety expert with the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, said that after inspecting Key and

interviewing employees, she does not suspect they were faking

sickness.

After several janitors became ill at Key in early September,

district spokesman Terry Abbott accused the teachers' union of

using " scare tactics " and urged its leaders to " stop trying to scare

the kids. " He pointed to a private environmental company's

conclusion that the janitors were sickened by bleach fumes, not mold.

The CDC later confirmed that assessment.

" It's a highly political situation, " Burton said. " The teachers

definitely did have health issues, which they associated with the

school. The reported symptoms are similar to those that have been

reported in other indoor air-quality issues dealing with mold in wet

buildings. "

In addition to medical bills, the district has paid about $4,000 for

substitute teachers at Key this school year. Not all of the

substitutes were necessarily covering for teachers who were out

sick, however.

The district also expects to pay about $51,200 to Blackmon Mooring

for cleaning services at Key and at least $50,000 to ICU

Environmental, Health and Safety for conducting air-quality tests.

Inspectors with ICU, a Woodlands-based company, and city health

inspectors repeatedly concluded that while mold was present at Key,

it wasn't pervasive or dangerous.

AC out during rains

An initial report from the CDC's National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health confirmed the presence of mold in some classrooms,

hallways, the teachers' lounge and other areas, but the report did

not address whether the conditions were unsafe.

The federal agency is working on a more complete analysis, although

Burton said inspectors may never pinpoint the specific cause of any

ailments.

But Burton said conditions at Key, a 50-year-old school, were ripe

for mold and humidity problems because the air conditioning was out

of operation at times during the summer while heavy rains were

falling.

The students and staff have been at nearby Fleming Middle School

since late September while the CDC completes its investigation —

which should not cost the district any money, Burton said.

About half of the workers' comp claims from Key came from teachers.

Also filing claims were teachers' assistants, cafeteria workers,

clerks and custodians.

The claims, obtained by the Chronicle under the Texas Public

Information Act, provide some insight into the symptoms, although

many filings lack detail. The district redacted all employees' names

and, in a few cases, their job titles, citing privacy laws.

Continuing problems

Eight employees reported being transported by ambulances, while

three others said they went to hospitals on their own or were

treated by paramedics.

Some said the symptoms came on suddenly.

" While covering my bulletin board I noticed my eyes were burning, "

one female teacher wrote. " I looked around to see mold and mildew

everywhere. Immediately I left the room because my lips begin (sic)

to swell. After I went outside my skin start (sic) itching, fingers

had a funny feeling, and my head began hurting. "

Others said their problems were ongoing.

" I began to feel sick constantly at school (headaches, sore throat,

running nose, soreness in my back), " one male teacher wrote. " When I

would stay home for a day or so, I would feel better. As soon as I

returned to school, my condition would get worse. "

The CDC's Burton said some people are more sensitive than others to

molds or other air-quality problems. Some visitors to Key, for

example, reported feeling fine, while others — including state

Education Commissioner — reported immediate symptoms

like allergic reactions.

Some parents have blamed Key for sickening their children, but it's

difficult to determine how widespread any problems were because they

don't have to file formal complaints, as the employees did.

Gayle Fallon, who represents most of Key's educators as head of the

Houston Federation of Teachers, has blasted district officials for

what she considers a slow and inadequate response to serious health

concerns.

" Ray could have walked through that school and found

something, " she said.

ericka.mellon@...