The Leverett Saltonstall Office Building, Bureau of State Office Buidings : "time to leave." PDF
Preview The Leverett Saltonstall Office Building, Bureau of State Office Buidings : "time to leave."
k / HOUSE POST AUDIT AND OVERSIGHT BUREAU ROOM 146, STATE HOUSE BOSTON, MA 02133-1053 UMASS/AMHERST 9 JAMES H. FAGAN THOMAS W. HAMMOND, JR. CHAIRMAN DIRECTOR COMMITTEE ON (617) 722-2417 POST AUDIT AND OVERSIGHT aisobbaibsa^iei THE LEVERETT SALTONSTALL OFFICE BUILDING BUREAU OF STATE OFFICE BUILDINGS "TIME TO LEAVE" March, 1998 ; $£P2 /-.. Chairman James H. Fagan Vice Chairman James R. Miceli MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE Representative Steven Angelo Representative Michael G. Bellotti Representative Geraldine Creedon Representative Robert S. Hargraves Representative Louis L. Kafka Representative John A. Locke Representative John A. Stefanini Representative Steven A. Tolman Representative Joseph F. Wagner Bureau Director/General Counsel Thomas W. Hammond, Jr. '- TNTRODUCTION: At the request ofthe House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, the House HPAO Post Audit and Oversight Bureau (the Bureau) conducted a preliminary examination ofthe condition ofthe Leverett Saltonstall Building, the manner in which it has been maintained, and the implications ofshoddy maintenance ofthe infrastructure HPAO and systems in the building. The Bureau conducted its preliminary review after several House members raised concerns about historical maintenance problems and the effect oflack ofmaintenance on air quality, employee health, productivity, and other related concerns. In the course ofits review, the HPAO Bureau was made aware ofthe serious and HPAO growing asbestos problems in the building. The Bureau found that diminished maintenance efforts continued to increase the potential for health hazards from the asbestos within the building. Upon review ofmaterial subpoenaed from an asbestos HPAO contractor, the Bureau discovered that 1 1th floor air supply ducts had been found HPAO to contain asbestos material. The Bureau immediately communicated this information to the Secretary ofAdministration and Finance (A and F) and the Division of Capital Planning and Operations (DCPO). In response to the discovery ofrecords indicating asbestos in the 1 1th floor HPAO ductwork, and in response to the letter attached, the Bureau met with the Secretary ofAdministration and Finance and raised concerns about all ofthe asbestos located HPAO HPAO within the building. Based upon discussions with the Bureau and the Committee Chairman, the Secretary agreed to conduct a full test ofthe building to determine ifany health or safety issues warranted immediate evacuation ofthe building. HPAO Prior to this initial meeting and subsequent, the Bureau inspected the building, photographed areas needing maintenance, and met with numerous government HPAO officials, scientific experts, and Saltonstall employees. These Bureau contacts included meeting with officials from the Division ofCapital Planning and Operations, the Bureau ofState Office Buildings (BSOB), and the Office ofAdministration and Finance. HPAO The Bureau further contacted the Department ofLabor and Workforce Development, the Division ofOccupational Safety, the Office ofthe Attorney General Fair Labor and Business Practices, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program, the National Academy ofScience, the Board ofEnvironmental Studies and Toxicology, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Department ofEnvironmental Protection, the American Board ofIndustrial Hygiene, local colleges and universities, certified industrial hygienists, and an epidemiologist who formerly taught certification classes for HPAO asbestos abatement workers. The Bureau also reviewed hundreds ofpages of documents from the Division ofCapital Planning and Operations and the Bureau ofState Office Buildings. /' The Secretary ofAdministration and Finance, as part ofthe procedure to re-test HPAO the Saltonstall building, asked the Bureau to review the proposed test protocol. In HPAO the course ofits protocol review, the Bureau consulted with various experts including those referenced above and reviewed state and federal documents relating to HPAO asbestos and management ofasbestos in the workplace. Further, the Bureau met with officials and industrial hygienists at the state laboratory in Newton and viewed microscopic samples ofasbestos, fiberglass, cellulose, and other materials that are present in many buildings including the Saltonstall building. HPAO The Bureau is currently awaiting the approval ofthe air test protocol by HPAO the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The Bureau is also HPAO awaiting the final development ofwipe tests and other related tests that the Bureau HPAO has consistently sought to include as part ofprudent, thorough tests. The Bureau is pleased to have facilitated the comprehensive testing ofthe building. Yet, the responsibility to oversee and maintain the building lies with DCPO and BSOB. The HPAO Bureau will, ofcourse, continue to monitor the development ofthe tests, the test HPAO outcomes, and other related matters. The Bureau will keep the Committee apprised ofnew information. FINDINGS: Based on its review, the HPAO Bureau issues the following findings: * The evacuation ofthe Saltonstall building should be expedited. The Bureau has been unable to disprove any ofthe serious allegations about widespread potential for asbestos contamination and in the process ofreviewing the condition ofthe building under the worst case scenario recommends all employees should be relocated expeditiously. * In addition to the serious asbestos problem, the Saltonstall is a sick building. The HPAO Bureau found ample evidence ofair flow and air quality issues that make it a sick building apart from the serious problems related to asbestos. At the bare minimum, the building needs to be totally overhauled with all major systems replaced and all asbestos removed. * The Saltonstall building has historically had serious operational, maintenance and HPAO safety issues that have remained unaddressed. The Bureau found that band-aid maintenance approach to the building was a contributor to the current poor condition of the building. * The history ofvaried health complaints and the building's continued deterioration is creating substantial worker anxiety regarding workplace health and safety. Increased worker concerns have not been adequately addressed by BSOB or DCPO. The failure to provide timely and consistent information has created mistrust and skepticism on the part ofemployees. * The building contains aging sprayed-on asbestos fireproofing which was applied during construction on beams and above ceilings. Some ofthis material has delaminated and has come to rest on top ofceiling tiles. Because ofthis, impeccable cleaning ofthe HPAO building by trained personnel using specific methods is required. The Bureau found however that appropriate methods and standards ofcleanliness have not always been maintained. Although the HPAO Bureau found that there were some efforts made as oflate to improve performance, recent wipe samples still detected asbestos on many HPAO horizontal surfaces despite recent cleanup ofthe same areas. The Bureau is unable to determine the direct source ofthe asbestos found in the wipe samples. It is possible that asbestos found in wipe samples could have been released long ago. * The asbestos fireproofing within the air plenums (spaces for air movement within the ventilation system) causes routine maintenance to be procedurally burdensome and costly. Much ventilation maintenance has been foregone to avoid intrusions into the asbestos containing areas. This poor ventilation has contributed to a number ofthe health complaints in this building. * Historically, routine building maintenance was assigned low priority and often times was deferred. Since recent plans were developed to completely renovate the building, serious maintenance has been postponed. This deferral ofcritical maintenance poses an ongoing potential danger to workers due to the potential for breaches ofceiling tiles and other areas where asbestos could be released. * Poor air quality continues to be a problem due to the lack ofmaintenance and the configuration ofoffice space, including the placement ofoffice partitions, which does not take into account the design ofthe air system within the building. Dampers, vents, and air supply units are supplying substantially less air than is healthy for building occupants. Digitized by the Internet Archive 2013 in http://archive.org/details/leverettsaltonstOOmass
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