PSB employees affected by construction fumes will receive regular compensation

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Monday morning to approve full-day pay for employees in the Public Service Building who left work early May 19 due to fumes entering the ventilation system.

Construction workers May 19 were working on the the roof on the building, and fumes from their work escaped into the building

“They were supposed to close the air vents up there when they started working, and they forgot to close them,” said Commissioner Dean Kinzer.

The construction workers were completing their work in the fumes, but Kinzer noted none of them were affected by the fumes.

“They’re just used to it,” he commented.

Workers on the first floor of the building were affected, however, and some complained of sore throats and nausea. Some workers went home. Kinzer noted that the fumes were also on the second floor, but workers there were not as impacted.

“The first floor is where the fumes were the heaviest,” said Kinzer.

Some of the employees who went home from work that day complained of using sick or annual leave to cover the time off, so it was decided to pay the employees as if they had worked their regular hours, instead of going into the paid time off.

“We thought that would be the best track to follow,” said Kinzer.

The roof replacement was part of the McKinstry project ongoing at the Public Service Building, courthouse and jail. At the Public Service Building, work included the roof replacement, new windows, insulation and a new HVAC system.

“There’s just a few minor details to clean up, and then it will be complete,” said Kinzer.

At the courthouse, new lighting and duct work were installed in the superior court room, and asbestos removed. The ceiling in the court room was also lowered. For the jail, a new control system and air handling unit were installed. Kinzer said all the pieces to the project are close to wrapping up.

“Everything’s just about completed,” he said. “We’re just glad that we’re getting this completed now before the summer really hits.”