Library staff in sickout over mould

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Library staff in sickout over mould

Royal Gazette - Hamilton,Bermuda*

By Tari Trott

http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.js

p?articleId=7d857373003000d & sectionId=60

The Bermuda National Library at Par-la-Ville Park, Queen Street,

Hamilton.

Eight Bermuda National Library employees organised a sickout

yesterday after frustrations heightened over mould contamination

within the Queen Street, Hamilton building.

The extent of the contamination is unclear but it's understood staff

from the Adult Services division have been complaining for a

substantial amount of time about the health risks associated with

the mould.

The Royal Gazette was told by a well-placed source that at least one

employee has been diagnosed with a mould-related illness after being

tested.

Library managers were yesterday unsure if the sickout would continue

today as the task required to totally eliminate the fungus could not

immediately be carried out.

Head Librarian Joanne Brangman explained: " It will take longer than

tomorrow to resolve… if the staff will be back (today) or not, I

don't know.

" The mould concern is being addressed. Bermuda Water Consultants

advised us to replace the carpets and the Ministry of Works and

Engineering is supposed to be painting the inside of the building.

But the staff has complained that it's taking too long to coordinate

the improvements.

'We have the replacement carpet and we're just trying to coordinate

things so we do not have to pack up things twice and close the

library twice. " Ms Brangman said the sickout had caused no

disruption to the library's operation as other employees pitched

in. " It's been going on for quite a while, " she conceded about the

duration of the concerns. " We had tried cleaning and using an ozone

method of cleaning within the building to kill off the mould and all

of that has been done.

" Right now we're just trying to complete the final stage — getting

the carpet up — and this is taking forever.

" Some people have been tested for mould sickness and others have to

be tested and we've conducted an epidemiology study. " Ms Brangman

confirmed that Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation Dale

, whose Ministry is responsible for the Library, was notified

of yesterday's employee action, as well as the Ministry's Permanent

Secretary. It comes in the wake of a toxic mould crisis which

emerged at CedarBridge Academy in 2006 after teachers started to

feel sick.

The school was advised by US specialists in July 2006 to spend the

summer ridding the school of harmful mould and bacteria.

Last year it emerged that mould was present at the Southside and

Hamilton Police stations which also caused adverse health effects