Library staff concerned about asbestos

In early June, IU decided to move forward with the removal of asbestos from the lower level of the Main Library.\nAccording to the American Lung Association, asbestos removal is an expensive and hazardous process that should only be used as a last resort. The association's 2000 report said the best way to handle asbestos-filled tiles, if they are in good condition, is to leave them alone. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, asbestos becomes harmful when it is released into the air by the breaking of tiles.\nLibrary employees said they were concerned with the potential health risks of the removal and were confused about the procedure's exact parameters. To answer staff concerns, informational meetings were held by the Physical Plant, the Environmental Health and Safety Administration and OSHA, to explain the rules, regulations and safety precautions that were going to be taken.\nRichard Breeden, an Environmental Health and Safety Administration employee in charge of the asbestos removal at the Main Library, said the library staff was well informed about the procedures during the public meeting.\n"The staff knew we were going to be breaking the tiles," Breeden said. "It is virtually impossible not to break the tiles when using a manual method and we are allowed to do so."\nLast week as the removal project was completed, library employees said they were left frustrated, misinformed and still questioning the possible health risks. They said when they confronted the Physical Plant about taking other measures besides the potentially dangerous removal, the Physical Plant's response was that having the tiles removed was University policy.\nPhysical Plant Manager Hank Hewetson said he had no comment.\nHead of Access Services at the Main Library Harold Shaffer said he hoped the information session had been enough to assuage employees' fears and that necessary testing was done.\n"Air samples were taken before, during and after," Shaffer said. "The room was sealed with negative air pressure ... and (the job) was completed by the guidelines as we understand them."\nWorkers posted the safety regulations outside the work area Oct. 2. The regulations were mandated by OSHA and are the strictest standards for asbestos removal. Some of the mandatory guidelines include that each person entering the work site wear protective equipment, a respirator be properly worn at all times and that before leaving the work area the protective clothing be cleaned and disposed of properly.\nLibrary employee Dennis O'Brien said he saw many workers coming in and out of the work zone in plain, non-protective street clothes. He said many library employees started to question the Physical Plant workers.\n"I had to bang on the door very loudly to get anyone's attention," O'Brien said. "When one of them finally came out, he was wearing plain street clothes. I asked him what he was doing and he said that they were breaking up the tiles, and then he slammed the door in my face."\nO'Brien said a day after confronting the workers, the strict OSHA regulations came down and new, lenient safety regulations mandated by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute were put up in replacement. Shaffer said as he understands it, the Resilient Floor Covering Institute's regulations come directly from the OSHA regulations.\nO'Brien said the staff became skeptical about the removal procedures and began to notice cracks in the ventilation systems and very loud crushing and scraping noises.\nBut Breeden maintains that there were no health or safety hazards with this job.\n"We could have done this job in an open hallway with just some tape around it," Breeden said. "No one is at risk of unsafe exposure."\nStill, library employees said they are concerned the workers were being lax in their work, allowing many tiles to break and not taking their time to complete necessary safety procedures.\nBut Shaffer said, "If I thought the guidelines weren't being done, I would have to call somebody else in."\nAlso of concern to the library staff was a perceived hastiness of the job. An e-mail sent to all library staff members from Shaffer stated the tile removal job could span anywhere from two to three weeks. The staff said they were confused when the crew was done in five days. Shaffer said he was told by the Physical Plant the job might take up to two weeks because of possible scheduling problems.\n"It doesn't mean because the tiles were removed in five days that it was a sloppy job," Shaffer said.\nLibrary staff member Sherry Brookbank said she is worried about the safety of the people in the building and wishes the staff was better informed.\n"Secrecy breeds fear," Brookbank said. "We really need to be updated with the truth. All I know is that many of my students have been calling in sick with shortness of breath, dizziness, drowsiness and constant headaches. My boss, who is rarely sick, has been out with a fever and this morning I was feeling short of breath and dizzy. I just want to know if I am safe and if the people who will be in the building from now on will be safe."\nBut Shaffer said he and his staff asked the library workers for their concerns and made a frequently asked questions list after the investigation. He said the questions and responses to them have since been posted on the their Web site.\nAccording to OSHA and the ALA, there are no short-term symptoms that are linked to asbestos exposure. Long-term effects of exposure might be silent for up to 30 years. The most common asbestos-related diseases include: asbestosis, which is a scarring of the lung tissue; mesothelioma, which is cancer in the lining of the lung and lung cancer, which is a tumor in the lung, according to the ALA. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Agency concludes that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibers. \nRoom 048 of the library, the place from which the asbestos has been removed, will contain the library's Media Reserve section.\nThe National Institute For Occupational Safety and Health said the primary concern for every removal project should be safety -- for the building occupants, the removal workers and the general public. Brookbank and the rest of the Main Library staff do not believe safety was the No. 1 concern in the asbestos removal.\n"The library has a closed ventilation system. Whatever gets into the air, stays in the air," Brookbank said. "So many people pass through the library every day, who knows what may happen in 30 years."\nBut Shaffer maintains proper regulations were followed and asked why he would want to endanger himself.\n"I want to enjoy retirement and grandchildren, so why would I put myself into a dangerous position," Shaffer said. "Unless the perception is that the administration is sealed off from everything"