Mould at SCCHS

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Mould at SCCHS

The Southwest Booster - Swift Current,Saskatchewan,Canada*

http://www.swbooster.com/index.cfm?sid=89202 & sc=1

Two classrooms at the Swift Current Comprehensive High School have

been sealed off following the discovery of small amounts of Black

Mould in ceiling tiles.

Black Mould (Stachybotrys chartarum), a potentially toxic mould, was

found in samples taken during a routine public health inspection

back on Nov. 23. Test results were unavailable until Tuesday, when

the Chinook School Division found out results of two of the four

samples were positive for Black Mould in " scant amounts " , while more

moderate levels of Alternaria alternate, a less harmful mould, were

also found in two of four samples.

The stained ceiling tiles were situated in rooms 208 and 233, and

both classrooms have been sealed and disconnected from the school's

air ventilation network.

Environment Engineering personnel from the Saskatoon company Figley

and Associates are scheduled to be at the school on Saturday to

begin assessment and recommend and implement remedial action. The

assessment may take several days.

" We need people to understand that we have identified an issue,

we've got a remedial plan in place. We need everybody just to work

with us, give us the time to do the complete study that the School

Division has proposed, so that we can have all the information so

that we can move forward, " explained Trent Regier, Director of

Population Health for the Cypress Health Region.

According to information released by the Cypress Health Region,

Black Mould is a potentially toxic fungus that can cause adverse

health affects in some individuals. Some symptoms include, but are

not limited to; congestion, eye irritation, throat irritation and

headache.

The School Division is encouraging parents to take their children to

visit their family doctor and discuss the possibility of exposure

and raise any concerns. For more information about Black Mould and

potential health issues associated, contact the Cypress Health

Region Healthline at 1-877-800-0002.

Additional steps and precautions could be warranted depending on

what the environmental engineering personnel discover over the

weekend.

" We're going to take this process step by step. They'll be here on

the weekend, he'll do his initial, and based on the information he

gives to us from there, we'll be in conversation with the health

region and we'll make our plans based on that information. I don't

want to get into a whole lot of speculation. Obviously we've got

back-up plans in place should we need it, but we're going to go

based on information, " explained Chinook School Division Director of

Education Liam Choo-Foo.

" We really can't speculate any further than the information we have

at hand today, and that we have someone coming in that will be able

to provide us with the information as early as possible. We don't

want to get into that speculation game, " Regier added.

Additional information updates will appear on-line when provided by

the School Division.