Workshopaidsinbringing
cleanairtooldbuildings
ByDEBORAHA.MILES the building was checked and the for Individuals with Disabilities who
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A hot topic – indoor air quality and complaint was unfounded. represents the Hauppauge and Riverhead
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mold contamination – drew dozens of PEF She said the workshop provided an offices, said the workshop brought to light
members to Helen Hayes Hospital in opportunity to interact with others who many common-sense things people can
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Rockland County for a two-day workshop do have problems, and to learn how to do to improve indoor-air quality.
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in January. prevent or solve them. “It’s important to identify signs, such
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The training on how to investigate and “That discussion was enlightening. It as moisture forming in the vents,”
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solve indoor-air quality problems was made you realize what to look for in your Lindner said. “There are little things
open to PEF and management own building,” Charles said. people can do, such as not stacking boxes
&
representatives as well as building-related “One of the biggest fascinations for me against vents.”
personnel. was learning how piping systems, cooling One of the most valuable things the
S
“Understanding the fundamentals of towers and catch basins contribute to workshop offered was a reminder to be
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indoor-air quality can assist in the timely indoor-air quality. When there’s a honest and up front.
identification and resolutions of these complaint, these are the areas to “If an employee starts to feel sickly at
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problems,” said Kathy D’Arminio, PEF investigate. If they collect up to a foot of work, he should bring it to the attention
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chair of the statewide Health and Safety water, collection basins, for example, can of management and a union
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Committee. “Workshops bring together be an ideal petri dish for legionella to representative,” Lindner said. “A ‘sick’
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professionals who understand the proliferate. That can cause Legionnaires’ building can start with one person and
problems and help create Disease. then affect many. Employees need to
a network of “People need to avail know the protocol – whom to contact to
communication for the themselves of workshops check out air quality, address the
participants to solve and opportunities like problem, and resolve it.”
them.” this,” Charles said. “They The conference also covered how to
The program was keep us alert on what is control sources of pollutants, the
conducted by John happening out there, and distribution of contaminants and
Tiffany, an industrial to things we might not be remediation solutions.
hygienist, and Howard mindful of otherwise. In The program was funded by a state
Bader, a building
engineer.
PEF member Joice
Charles, an infection-
CHARLES
the long run, the
workshops offer
information to make life
better.”
LINDNER
Department of Labor Occupational Safety
and Health Training grant awarded to
PEF and was sponsored by PEF, the
Governor’s Office of Employee Relations
control nurse at Bronx Children’s PEF member Frank Lindner, a and the University of Binghamton.
Psychiatric Center, said a co-worker once vocational rehabilitation counselor at the
complained about indoor-air quality, but state Vocational and Educational Services
FOREWARNEDISFOREARMED
—PEFmemberJamesSfiroudis,a
consumerfraudsrepresentative
atthestateOfficeoftheAttorney
General,tellsPEFRetireesat
theirNewYorkCityChapter
meetinginFebruaryhowto
protectthemselvesfromscams
andfraud.Sfiroudiswasassisted
byEqwonnaPurvis(standingin
theback),astudentmediatorat
theAG’soffic
—
e
Photo by Richard Dillard
www.pef.org TheCommunicatorApril2009—Page11
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