Health Concerns at ZNS
Nassau, Bahamas — Breaking News coming into Bahamas Press confirms there are problems at the BCB on Rusty Bethel Drive.
Sources in the OPM have confirmed to BP that mold infestation has taken over the building and workers at the Bahamas Information Services have had to vacate the building for one month now and sit home while on the government payroll.
We can report workers in mid-December were relocated to the 3rd Terrace Centerville office to find that the said “repaired roof” was still leaking.
According to the report sent to the Office of the Prime Minister, senior managers at the Corporation noted a dangerous case of mold was discovered on the property and recommendations were made to have workers at BIS sent home until the matter was corrected.
Bahamas Press can report that since January 4th to the present absolutely nothing has been corrected and workers are still sitting home while collecting money.
Documents shown to us by our sources in the OPM confirm a letter dated January 6th following an Environmental assessment on the property highlighted the concerns. The inspection outlined in that communication suggests all concerns had to be met to accommodate the new tenants of the BCB building.
In that assessment report BP can confirm that the comments penned by the inspector revealed:
The assessment clearly showed extensive renovations were being undertaken in the facility. However, there REMAIN TWO MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN. These include:
- Visible mold in some of the longstanding air conditioning vents and
- Some carpeting in need of cleaning and /or replacement.
The report concluded that these items should be cleaned or replaced quickly before the tenants [BIS] can occupy the facility.
Bahamas Press in an inspection at the BCB was shown the visible caked mold covering the air-condition vents, photos of which we can also was confirm had been supplied in copies to the OPM by the Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment teams out of the DEHS.
We can report that, while senior officers of the BCB suggested that money at the BCB was spent to change the carpets and install new AC vents, another letter addressed to the office of the PM dated Jan. 10th confirmed that actually nothing had been done to resolve the issues in the building.
Bahamas Press is asking the question: why would the OPM, knowing the heath risks associated with mold, continue to allow persons at the BCB to risk their lives working in the entire building?
We would also wonder: why is it – even after the Environmental Report at the BCB – that there would not be IMMEDIATE steps to clear the mold infestation from the vents?
We also wonder how long has this “MOLD” situation been plaguing the staff at the BCB? And who at the facility has had health challenges?
Where is the BCB union in all this?
And, since ZNS newsroom refuses to report these developments, Bahamas Press has taken up the challenge. Since December, the staff at BIS is still home, waiting to get into their new location in that building on Rusty Bethel Drive.
