ST LUCIA
The St Lucian Department of Public Service says it is addressing the issue of poor air quality and mould in PS offices.
Assistant Permanent Secretary in the Department, Augusta Duval-Toussaint said the problems were causing short-term eye, nose and throat irritations as well as headaches, dizziness and fatigue.
“Long-term poor air quality can trigger the effects of asthma and lead to respiratory disease and more serious ailments,” Mr Duval-Toussaint said.
“In order to mitigate these issues, we have implemented preventative maintenance measures, which include biannual deep cleaning, quarterly servicing of the airconditioning units, and the proper storage of household chemicals.”
He urged officers to help themselves by “opening windows occasionally to aid ventilation and avoid leaving open food packages or containers in their desks, as this practice creates an environment for the development of mould”.
Facilities Management Officer in the Department, Lyndon Barry Georges said poor construction standards were also to blame.
“We need to make sure standards are being followed during construction because, as the building gets older, conditions will quickly deteriorate,” Mr Georges said.
He gave the example of one major Public Service building where cracks had appeared and rainwater was running down inside walls.
“As a result, there was a lot of condensation and moisture retention, which is favourable for mould growth,” Mr Georges said.
“We are working tirelessly to eliminate these problems.”
Castries, 4 September 2019
