Mold contamination suspected in state workers' illnesses

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/68816_sickoffice02.shtml

Mold contamination suspected in state workers' illnesses

Thursday, May 2, 2002

By ANGELA GALLOWAY

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER CAPITOL REPORTER

OLYMPIA -- It's not just the dizzying math within a million pages of

accounting documents that's giving some state workers headaches.

Dozens of workers within the state agency regulating financial businesses

have complained over the past year that coming to work makes them sick --

and a couple of them had to be hauled off to the hospital.

Recent tests confirm that it wasn't just in their bean-counting heads: Lab

results show potentially dangerous levels of mold in paper files held in the

General Administration building on the Capitol Campus.

The Department of Financial Institutions closed two state offices within the

building and relocated about up to 10 workers.

Two of the forensic auditors who work in the suspected epicenter of mold

contamination -- a 900-square-foot third-floor office -- began complaining

as long as a year ago of health problems, officials said. Both had previous

respiratory problems and suffered severe symptoms.

" They just about passed out, " said Gloria Papiez, a department assistant

administrative director. " We had to call the ambulance on those two. "

One woman became so ill that the department called 911 for her once in

December and again in January. It called 911 for another worker in

mid-April. Both those employees went to the hospital and later were moved

out of the building. The department closed the room in December.

An additional 37 of the 92 staff members there reported symptoms, said

Papiez, who has logged 123 complaints of headaches, 93 of breathing issues,

78 sinus problems, 85 itchy eyes, 46 itchy faces, 76 burning eyes and 66

complaints of dizziness.

" It's pretty much been a nightmare, " Papiez said.

In a recent report, the state Department of Labor & Industries said its lab

tests showed a " serious hazard " -- causing, or likely to cause, serious

injury or death.

L & I referred questions to Stefan Dobratz, the agency's industrial hygiene

program manager. He cautioned against making too much of the reported

" serious " concerns.

" We deal with potential as well as actual, " he said. " And so when there's a

potential for that level injury or harm, we would then classify it as a

serious. "

The financial institutions department has paid a private consultant about

$10,000 to conduct its own mold tests, Papiez said. The company took samples

last week and lab results are due any day.

The closed office holds about a million pages of documents related to a

major investigation by the Securities Division of the department.

The mold investigation will delay but not seriously affect that

investigation, said Deborah Bortner, director of securities.

Doctors have confirmed that two workers appear to be reacting to something

in the office, she said.

" These are people who have been very good employees over a long period of

time, so you know they're not whiners or complainers, " she added.

The state has agreed to correct the problem by May 20, according to L & I's

report.

" Ongoing fungi contamination can eventually result in potentially severe

health conditions known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and asthma, " L & I's

report reads.

However, General Administration found no mold contamination in the office's

air, ventilation systems, plants and other areas, said Riley, General

Administration's environmental assessor.

General Administration moved the workers into a different office on the

ground floor, gradually relocating their office belongings, Riley said.

Their symptoms subsided until they moved the files in, he said. That office

was closed in February.

One L & I sampling found a very high count for mold growth in a file cabinet.

But Riley is not yet convinced by that test. At the level reported, he said,

" I should be able to see the mold. "

P-I reporter Galloway can be reached at 360-943-3990 or

angelagalloway@...