14 Hilton workers report mold illness

[Guest guest]

http://starbulletin.com/2002/08/17/business/index1.html

Saturday, August 17, 2002

14 Hilton workers report mold illness

Symptoms range from eye irritation to exacerbated asthma

National expert shares insights on mold woes

By Tim Ruel

truel@...

Fourteen workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village's Kalia Tower have reported

health symptoms caused by exposure to mold in the tower, according to a

health expert hired by Hilton.

Ten of the employees said they had irritation of the eye, throat and nose,

two employees said they had skin rashes and two reported their asthma had

worsened, according to Dr. ph Jarvis, associate professor of the

University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Since Hilton announced on July 24 that it was closing Kalia Tower because of

mold, the hotel has also been contacted by a few guests who said they had

symptoms, said Schall, senior vice president and managing director of

Hilton Hawaiian Village. Hilton told the guests to seek medical help and

send the bill to Hilton, Schall said.

At a press conference yesterday, Jarvis described his study of the workers

as conclusive. His findings were based on a survey of workers and follow-up

interviews of those who reported symptoms. Jarvis did not perform clinical

tests, and said the results of his population sample could not substitute

for a clinical investigation.

Neither Hilton nor Jarvis would disclose his pay for the study.

Jarvis said he encouraged employees to seek treatment from a doctor.

Employees will not be responsible to pay for treatment, Schall said.

Before Kalia Tower closed last month, some 50 employees regularly worked in

the guest rooms, though other employees worked in the tower on a more random

basis. Workers who frequent Kalia appear to be two to three times more

likely to report irritation symptoms than those who worked there less

frequently, Jarvis said.

Jarvis said he found no evidence of allergic respiratory illness caused by

mold.

In his study, Jarvis targeted workers in the Kalia and Lagoon towers, where

the hotel has identified large amounts of mold, as well as the Tapa tower,

where levels of mold are more typical of any building. Of 262 employees, 241

completed Jarvis' questionnaire.

No one in Lagoon or Tapa towers reported symptoms, Jarvis said. Unlike Kalia

Tower, where mold was found in room furniture, the mold in the time-share

Lagoon Tower was confined to ceilings in a third-floor corridor. Last week,

Hilton began painting the Lagoon mold with fungicide chemicals as a

temporary fix.

Hilton has identified high humidity as being responsible for the mold in the

453-room Kalia Tower, and is still investigating the source of the humidity,

Schall said. There is no timetable for a clean up.

" We have not done any clean-up yet, " Schall said. Hilton will not disclose

the cost of having the Kalia Tower closed to guests, though the company has

estimated that fixing the mold damage will cost $10 million.

The union that represents workers at Hilton is frustrated that employees of

hotel contractor Team Clean Inc. were not included in the survey, even

though Team Clean employees were hired specifically to clean the mold, said

Gill, financial secretary-treasurer of Hotel Employees and Restaurant

Employees Local 5.

The union is also disappointed that Hilton is not giving out information

about who took the survey, Gill said.

" The most astounding aspect of all this was Jarvis offered no written report

of his findings, and has told us he does not plan to produce one, " Gill

said.

Without more information, the union has no way of deciding if it agrees with

Jarvis' findings, Gill said.

Since Hilton went public with its mold problem, reports of mold in Hawaii

have been on the rise. The University of Hawaii has reported mold, residents

have reported mold and just this week, the federal government disclosed that

it found mold in the Prince Kuhio Federal Building and the U.S. District

Courthouse downtown. Federal Magistrate Kobayashi and her staff have

been moved to another office because mold was found in the judge's chambers.

[Guest guest]

Imagine that !!!! No reports are to be written. Something smells

besides the Mold. Do the words " cover up " ring a bell?

Ken Moulton

> http://starbulletin.com/2002/08/17/business/index1.html

>

> Saturday, August 17, 2002

> 14 Hilton workers report mold illness

>

> Symptoms range from eye irritation to exacerbated asthma

> National expert shares insights on mold woes

>

> By Tim Ruel

> truel@s...

>

> Fourteen workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village's Kalia Tower have

reported

> health symptoms caused by exposure to mold in the tower, according

to a

> health expert hired by Hilton.

>

> Ten of the employees said they had irritation of the eye, throat

and nose,

> two employees said they had skin rashes and two reported their

asthma had

> worsened, according to Dr. ph Jarvis, associate professor of the

> University of Nevada School of Medicine.

>

> Since Hilton announced on July 24 that it was closing Kalia Tower

because of

> mold, the hotel has also been contacted by a few guests who said

they had

> symptoms, said Schall, senior vice president and managing

director of

> Hilton Hawaiian Village. Hilton told the guests to seek medical

help and

> send the bill to Hilton, Schall said.

>

> At a press conference yesterday, Jarvis described his study of the

workers

> as conclusive. His findings were based on a survey of workers and

follow-up

> interviews of those who reported symptoms. Jarvis did not perform

clinical

> tests, and said the results of his population sample could not

substitute

> for a clinical investigation.

>

> Neither Hilton nor Jarvis would disclose his pay for the study.

>

> Jarvis said he encouraged employees to seek treatment from a doctor.

> Employees will not be responsible to pay for treatment, Schall said.

>

> Before Kalia Tower closed last month, some 50 employees regularly

worked in

> the guest rooms, though other employees worked in the tower on a

more random

> basis. Workers who frequent Kalia appear to be two to three times

more

> likely to report irritation symptoms than those who worked there

less

> frequently, Jarvis said.

>

> Jarvis said he found no evidence of allergic respiratory illness

caused by

> mold.

>

> In his study, Jarvis targeted workers in the Kalia and Lagoon

towers, where

> the hotel has identified large amounts of mold, as well as the Tapa

tower,

> where levels of mold are more typical of any building. Of 262

employees, 241

> completed Jarvis' questionnaire.

>

> No one in Lagoon or Tapa towers reported symptoms, Jarvis said.

Unlike Kalia

> Tower, where mold was found in room furniture, the mold in the time-

share

> Lagoon Tower was confined to ceilings in a third-floor corridor.

Last week,

> Hilton began painting the Lagoon mold with fungicide chemicals as a

> temporary fix.

>

> Hilton has identified high humidity as being responsible for the

mold in the

> 453-room Kalia Tower, and is still investigating the source of the

humidity,

> Schall said. There is no timetable for a clean up.

>

> " We have not done any clean-up yet, " Schall said. Hilton will not

disclose

> the cost of having the Kalia Tower closed to guests, though the

company has

> estimated that fixing the mold damage will cost $10 million.

>

> The union that represents workers at Hilton is frustrated that

employees of

> hotel contractor Team Clean Inc. were not included in the survey,

even

> though Team Clean employees were hired specifically to clean the

mold, said

> Gill, financial secretary-treasurer of Hotel Employees and

Restaurant

> Employees Local 5.

>

> The union is also disappointed that Hilton is not giving out

information

> about who took the survey, Gill said.

>

> " The most astounding aspect of all this was Jarvis offered no

written report

> of his findings, and has told us he does not plan to produce one, "

Gill

> said.

>

> Without more information, the union has no way of deciding if it

agrees with

> Jarvis' findings, Gill said.

>

> Since Hilton went public with its mold problem, reports of mold in

Hawaii

> have been on the rise. The University of Hawaii has reported mold,

residents

> have reported mold and just this week, the federal government

disclosed that

> it found mold in the Prince Kuhio Federal Building and the U.S.

District

> Courthouse downtown. Federal Magistrate Kobayashi and her

staff have

> been moved to another office because mold was found in the judge's

chambers.