Former Hotel Employee Files Lawsuit Claming Dangerous Work Conditions

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FP) ) November 4, 2008

Former Hotel Employee Files Lawsuit Claiming Dangerous Work Conditions

by STEVE ANDREWS | News Channel 8

Published: October 13, 2009 tbo.com | TAMPA - A former Westshore Hotel

employee has filed a lawsuit claiming the business knowingly exposed its

employees and occupants to a dangerous work environment of asbestos, mildew and

mold.

The lawsuit, filed by former hotel engineer Tom Voorhees, says the hotel

wrongfully fired him for blowing the whistle on the conditions. Voorhees

wants lost pay, medical expenses and punitive damages for possible health

issues. The lawsuit was filed in Hillsborough Circuit Court last month.

" I was definitely directly handling asbestos with no protection because I

didn't know it was there, " Voorhees said.

A News Channel 8 investigation last April revealed a mold infestation

problem and potential asbestos exposure at the hotel.

Voorhees told WFLA-TV that Super Bowl visitors stayed at the hotel on West

Shore Boulevard.

" Nobody in that hotel during that whole time was protected from anything,

children and families from mold and mildew, sleeping on moldy mattresses

that were covered up,'' he said.

Former hotel maintenance worker Sam Medina recalls hotel employees

readying black moldy rooms for Super Bowl guests.

" We had spray bottles full of bleach, just regular house bleach that you

can buy at any kind of store, " Medina said. " We went in and tried to spray

down the walls. "

Voorhees and other former workers say the mold was on furniture,

televisions, and mattresses.

" Some of the mattresses were thrown out, most of them are back in the

rooms and guests are sleeping on them, " Voorhees told News Channel 8 in April.

According to the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's Office,

Westshore Hotel Property LLC owns the hotel. Its address is UBS Real Estate

Securities in New York.

The hotel was in mortgage foreclosure in December 2008. UBS, the mortgage

lender, told a judge that the previous owner of the hotel, Fuel and Shubh

Capital Management Delaware LLC, failed to maintain the hotel and at least

40 of the 235 guest rooms were mold infested.

The court appointed Janus Hotels and Resorts Inc. to run the hotel for UBS.

Deborah Chamberlin, Janus vice-president of operations, said Janus hired a

licensed mold remediation company in January when it took over management

of the hotel. Rooms with mold, she said, were closed to guests.

Voorhees is even more concerned about possible asbestos exposure.

" I was definitely directly handling asbestos with no protection 'cause I

didn't know it was there, " Voorhees said.

Janus confirmed that the dropped ceiling tiles in guest bathrooms

contained asbestos.

" We re-did the ceilings in a lot of bathrooms, " Voorhees said. " Some of

the bathrooms came crashing down from water leaks. We pick that stuff up and

all the broken material, it's all asbestos. "

Voorhees said he filed the lawsuit because he's worried about his health

down the road and the health of other workers and guests.

" I'm not there anymore, so maybe that's a good thing,

maybe that's a bad thing,'' Voorhees said. " Out of a job is better than being

dead.''

When contacted about the lawsuit last week, UBS was trying to determine if

it owned the property. The hotel has not responded to the lawsuit.

_http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/13/former-hotel-employee-files-lawsuit

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