STEVENS POINT (WAOW) ??A?UW Stevens Point communications professor whose complaint led to a state investigation on asbestos violations at the school says she?s glad she brought attention to the problem.
The investigation report, filed in July by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, says a construction project in the UWSP Communication Arts Center last year contained asbestos, and that the school failed to protect its employees.
Karlene Ferrante, associate professor of communication, filed the complaint that led to the investigation.
?I was glad to do my part to bring their attention to these problems,? said Ferrante.??Now that the UWSP safety and risk management folks know what the conditions were like, I?m sure they will work cooperatively with the Department of Commerce to provide a much safer workplace in the future.?
The investigation report lists six violations against the school and corrective action that must be taken by next month.
According to the report, tile containing asbestos was removed by a contractor from room 234 in the CAC, the site of a restroom renovation. The report indicated this is a place where employees work.
?UW Stevens Point did not provide a Competent Person to carry out required actions to protect employee health,? according to the report.
The report also says UWSP did not determine how much asbestos existed before opening the project up to bidding.
?Documents and emails demonstrate a lack of recordkeeping, inaccurate recordkeeping, and a reliance on third party recordkeeping and inspection without oversight,? according to the report.
As a result of failing to identify the presence of asbestos, UWSP did not notify employees working nearby that the construction project included asbestos abatement. The university also failed to provide alternate routes around the construction project or post signs warning of asbestos, according to the report.
Finally, UWSP ?did not ensure that employee complaints regarding asbestos and non asbestos air contaminants and noise exposure?were evaluated by an employee with sufficient training and experience,? according to the report.
The investigation report requires the school to address the violations and correct them by September 13. This includes keeping employees away from areas where asbestos could migrate, not starting any more projects until the location of the asbestos is determined, explaining the violations in question, and developing plans to prevent similar problems in the future.
But UWSP officials dispute the report. Jeff Karcher, UWSP director of Safety Loss, told Newsline 9 the school has appealed the report.
?We feel that we were in compliance with the overall requirements of the asbestos removal and we disagree with the vast majority of the orders that were issued by the department of commerce,? said Karcher.
Karcher said the contractor took all of the required actions to protect the health of employees. He said the petition also says UWSP did notify its employees during the actual removal work.
Karcher also said the building where the renovation took place is safe.
To view the original story and a copy of the state investigation report, visit http://www.waow.com/story/15252241/uwsp-asbestos.
Article source: http://www.waow.com/story/15277788/uwsp-professor-says-complaint-will-lead-to-change
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