No OSHA citation issued for mold in downtown building

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Updated October 23. 2008 4:17PM

No OSHA citation issued for mold in downtown building

By Hadish

The Gazette

cindy.hadish@...

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20081023/NEWS/710239932/1006

CEDAR RAPIDS — Mold detected at a downtown building after Department

of Human Services workers complained of health problems won't lead

to a citation.

, administrator of the Iowa Occupational Safety and

Health Administration enforcement program, said Thursday that OSHA

will do nothing further regarding mold at the Iowa Building, 411

Third St. SE.

The seven-floor building, which reopened in late July after being

closed by the June floods, houses DHS and a few smaller offices.

No governmental standards address safe levels of mold and other

fungal or bacterial exposures.

OSHA can investigate complaints about mold and other air quality

issues, but has said without any standards, the violation

would have to be egregious to warrant a citation and fine.

" There is mold everywhere, " she said. Is it dangerous? Nobody really

knows. "

The report by Tracey Frederick, senior industrial hygienist, noted

mold was detected on second through seventh floors, where offices

are located.

said no mold was actually seen. Samples were taken Aug. 29

using a tape collection method.

She added that while no citations were issued for mold, the OSHA

case remains open. She would not say what other concerns might have

arisen.

Ehrenberger, a partner of building owner, Ilandco Corp.,

referred questions to DHS.

DHS spokesman Munns said he was not surprised by the findings,

noting that " practically every building has mold. "

" Our policy is to occupy safe buildings, " he said. " Not just for the

people who work there, but the customers of the DHS and that

includes kids. "

Munns said DHS is relying on more thorough testing conducted by EFI

Global Inc., industrial hygiene consultants from Kingwood, Texas.

The company used an air sampling method to test air quality in late

July and again in September. Findings showed mold levels in the

building were generally less than outdoors, one of the ways mold

levels are compared.

EFI recommended cleaning be performed as part of general

housekeeping, but did not recommend further steps.

Munns said he was not trying to diminish the health complaints of

DHS employees.

Four of the 150 DHS workers in the building have complained about

problems since the floods. Two were transferred to another building

and one of those has returned to the Iowa Building, without

problems, Munns said.

The other two were asked to provide documentation by a doctor.

Dr. Ann McKinstry, of Northridge Family Medicine in Cedar Rapids,

has treated one patient who works in the Iowa Building.

The worker did not want to be identified, but McKinstry said the

woman has a documented mold allergy. She suffers from burning skin,

congestion and sinus headaches, McKinstry said, symptoms that

disappear on weekends.

McKinstry added that people with asthma could be more susceptible to

allergens like mold and that anyone can develop mold

hypersensitivity.

" It's serious, " she said.

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[Guest guest]

Has anybody noticed a qualitative change in the wording of these statements?

For example, she mentions a number of things here that often were not

mentioned before

and explains the woeful situation with lack of standards and the bind in

which

these public agencies find themselves when they come up against the laws

or lack of laws..

In my opinion the situation is controlled by lobbyists and vested interests.

People's health is not their top priority.

On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 11:29 PM, tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

> Updated October 23. 2008 4:17PM

> No OSHA citation issued for mold in downtown building

> By Hadish

>

> The Gazette

>

cindy.hadish@...<cindy.hadish%40gazettecommunications.com>

>

> http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

> AID=/20081023/NEWS/710239932/1006

>

> CEDAR RAPIDS — Mold detected at a downtown building after Department

> of Human Services workers complained of health problems won't lead

> to a citation.

>

> , administrator of the Iowa Occupational Safety and

> Health Administration enforcement program, said Thursday that OSHA

> will do nothing further regarding mold at the Iowa Building, 411

> Third St. SE.

>

>