By Shamar Blunt
Amid mounting concerns over the deteriorating environmental conditions in several public buildings, the administration’s infrastructure and building works enforcer has announced a government-wide maintenance programme.
Senior Minister with responsibility for Planning and Infrastructure Dr William Duguid made the disclosure during a Prioritising the Safety and Health of Public Workers discussion held at the Hilton Barbados on Friday.
Indoor air quality problems, such as malfunctioning air conditioning systems and mould growth, have been the primary culprits behind the increasing prevalence of “sick building syndrome”, the minister revealed.
He acknowledged that the problem affects not only the well-being of government employees but also their overall productivity as he stressed the maintenance programme’s importance.
Dr Duguid said: “Ensuring that these facilities are managed in an efficient and sustainable manner is therefore critical, especially when it’s taken into consideration that persons need to be operating in a safe, comfortable, and welcoming work environment if they are to give of their best and be productive.”
He pointed out that the government oversees a diverse portfolio of buildings, varying in age, construction materials, and design, which presented various maintenance challenges.
“An examination of the properties within the government’s portfolio shows that there are properties ranging in age from newly built to over 400 years old. These buildings are built from various materials, and the construction methodology is just as varied. This means that these buildings require maintenance practices that run the full spectrum of the built environment and can create some complex issues.
“It has been discovered that many challenges being experienced recently by the government with its accommodation in state-owned and leased properties stem mainly from issues with indoor air quality. This is primarily the result of malfunctioning air-conditioned systems, leading to hot workspaces and mould growth,” the minister said.
To address these concerns and the deteriorating state of state-owned facilities, the Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Maintenance is launching a programme to revitalise a number of properties that have fallen into disrepair, Dr Duguid announced. The government also plans to establish a maintenance policy.
In a statement issued Friday, the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) called for immediate action by various government departments to address safety and health concerns at schools, police buildings, and polyclinics.
General Secretary Dennis De Peiza said the CTUSAB and individual member organisations representing public workers – the Barbados Union of Teachers, the National Union of Public Workers and the Barbados Nurses Association – have long been raising their voices to call attention to the sick building syndrome affecting workplaces across the country.
Stressing the government’s responsibility to provide safe working conditions for public employees, the congress called for an annual maintenance programme for state buildings. It also recommended a monitoring schedule for leased or rented government office spaces, and the formation of safety and health committees in workplaces and training for the committee members to effectively address safety and health concerns.
Making specific reference to issues faced by workers in sick buildings, De Peiza said: “CTUSAB joins the call of the Barbados Union of Teachers for action to be immediately taken by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training towards addressing safety and health concerns at the St Bartholomew School.
“It also joins with the Barbados Police Association in demanding an urgent response by the authorities, in addressing the mould issues at the building which currently houses the Criminal Investigation Department, located at Fontabelle, St Michael. Additionally, CTUSAB calls on the Ministry of Health and Wellness to address the environmental issues which exist at the polyclinics across the island, as identified by the Barbados Nurses Association.
“Knowledgeable of the fact that the occupants of these workplaces are experiencing acute health and comfort issues, CTUSAB views that it would be inconsiderate if the government, as the employer, did not act with haste to remedy these deplorable working conditions,” he said.
