Five 'serious hazards' reported at County Courthouse

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Five 'serious hazards' reported at courthouse

MOSH says 3 are fixed; 2 face Aug. 21 deadline

By Goldberg

Sun Staff

Originally published August 1, 2002

Employees in the County Clerk of the Circuit Court's office are not

getting enough fresh air to breathe, state occupational health inspectors

have concluded.

A report from land Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), which was

recently sent to Clerk of the Circuit Court Margaret D. Rappaport, says that

carbon dioxide levels in her offices in 's Circuit courthouse are

higher than they should be.

It also notes other factors that might affect the air quality in the

historic, 19th-century building - including dead pigeons decomposing on the

roof near cooling fans and " mold growth " in the building.

The report lists five " serious hazards, " and notes that three have been

fixed. Two, both related to the building's electrical system, must be fixed

by an Aug. 21 deadline.

Rappaport, whose call to MOSH sparked a top-to-bottom review of the building

that began in May, said yesterday that she was disappointed that the report

did not say more about what she said are mold growths in her offices and

throughout the building. The report notes that there are no occupational

health standards for mold.

" This is our third report, and nothing's been accomplished, " Rappaport said.

An air quality study and an air sampling were performed last year.

The building is " not safe, it's not healthy and it's not clean, " she said.

The MOSH report, which is dated July 18, is the first of what is expected to

be a series of documents detailing conditions in the building. The Judge

Diane O. Leasure, the county's administrative judge, and other department

heads said yesterday they had not received their copies of the report.

It is also part of what has become a larger effort to assess the health of

the old, cramped structure - and to communicate better with employees who

have complained of chronic health problems they blame on the building.

As MOSH officials raised questions over the past three months, county

officials tested the building for contaminants. The discovery of asbestos,

lead and mercury in parts of the building resulted in additional tests to

determine whether the substances have been dispersed through the air.

County officials are planning to conduct more sophisticated air tests

tomorrow, said M. Irvin, the county's public works director. Building

employees say they have been told the measurement devices, which will be

used during business hours, will sound like lawn mowers.

A county-generated environmental update circulated to employees Tuesday -

the second such newsletter distributed throughout the building in the past

few weeks - details the testing and also notes the recent creation of a

committee of employees who have been asked to act as " liaisons " between

courthouse workers and the county.

" I just don't think the information is always as good as it could be, " said

Deputy State's Attorney Dario Broccolino, one of the liaisons. " ... There's

no question they're trying to do it right this time. "

The information has caused some concern among employees, though.

Kim Charity, community justice coordinator in the state's attorney's office,

was worried enough about revelations about elevated radon levels in an

unfinished basement area near the prosecutors' office that she grabbed an

alcohol swab to wipe down a computer keyboard yesterday.

" You do worry about contamination, " she said.

Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun