City workers complaining of sick-building problems

Art Nadler

Thursday, Aug. 5, 1999 | 12:21 p.m.

City employees who have complained for three years that their office building is making them sick were told Wednesday it may take three months until remedial improvements are made to their working environment.

More than 20 workers at the city of Las Vegas Development Services Center, 731 S. Fourth St., listened as Bill Thorp, the city's safety/loss control specialist, and a representative of an industrial hygiene company hired to clean the building, detailed what still needed to be done following flood damage to the building.

The concerned employees were told that the entire bottom floor of the two-story structure would have its carpeting deep-cleaned again, said Rick Anderson, city human resources director. The carpeting had previously been cleaned following the July 8 flood.

Anderson said carpeting under modular furniture would be cleaned this time, and drywall that was damaged by the flood would be replaced.

Workers had complained that they were experiencing headaches, sore throats and other flu-like symptoms since they moved into the building in 1996. They said the symptoms intensified after the flood.

The employees had secretly taken a piece of the wet drywall and had it analyzed by a California microbiology laboratory. Test results showed it contained the highly toxic fungus stachybotrys chartarum. The fungus is known to cause the same symptoms the workers have been experiencing.

Anderson said current air sample tests show that the inside air has less pollen and mold spore levels than air outside the building. But some of the employees remain skeptical.

"The purpose (of the meeting) was to BS us and tell us everything is under control," said one worker, who requested anonymity. "Since they started lying to us that there wasn't any mold, I don't trust them. They lost credibility with me."

The employees asked to see the latest indoor air sample results, but they were told that they couldn't be released until the owner of the cleaning company returned to Las Vegas.

Anderson said he expected the results to be released in about 10 days.

Employees also complained of lack of ventilation in a room that houses a large copy machine. Anderson said the city is attempting to contact the landlord to see if they can vent the room. He said the machine may be moved to another area that has windows.