WATCH: The public health building in Port Coquitlam is closed over concerns that it is leaking asbestos. Tanya Beja has the story.
A building leased to the Fraser Health Authority is closed and their staff forced out after finding asbestos on-site last month.
Staff, which includes public health nurses, members of the BCGEU and a person from the Ministry of Children and Family Development, reported their concerns over the toxic material found in the Fraser Health Clinic at 226 Wilson at the beginning of October.
According to a spokesperson with the BC Nurses’ Union, the nurses were moved to the Newport Medical Clinic in Port Moody while a crew tested the air and debris for toxins.
Four days later the staff was cleared by Fraser Health to return to the Port Coquitlam clinic and informed the air sampling was “good” but the results of the debris were still pending. Services to the public were continued for nearly a week until the building was closed again after questions about its structure.
The debris results, it turns out, came back positive for asbestos and now, the building is undergoing a lengthy and expensive decontamination process. And the staff said they’re worried about the effects of the asbestos on their health as well as their patients.
Worksafe BC is now investigating and wants Fraser Health and the City of Port Coquitlam to review the safety and structure of all their buildings.
“Right now our officers are still engaged in asking them questions, looking for information about their asbestos management programs,” said Al Johnson from Worksafe BC.
Johnson said Worksafe BC wants to know how comprehensive their programs are and if they include all of their properties in the process.
“Was this an odd exception or an issue that occurred for other reasons,” Johnson said. “Or is this a larger issue?”
According to a statement from the City of Port Coquitlam to Global News, the building is almost 50 years old and Fraser Health is responsible for the operations and maintenance, while the city looks after the structure (supporting walls, foundation, roof, exterior walls).
Each time the City was made aware of the issues, we promptly took steps to remedy the situation to ensure the health and well-being of the occupants. As a result of this latest incident, we have engaged the appropriate experts, including structural and environmental engineers, to provide the City with a sound course of action. We will take the necessary time to come up with the best solution as our primary concern is the future safety of the building occupants — The City of Port Coquitlam.
Fraser Health told Global News previous asbestos work was done in 2009 and 2012 and they will not reopen the building until the environment is safe and clear of toxins.
~ with files from Tanya Beja
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