Alta Vista School Council

November 23, 2019

Dear Alta Vista Families:

I wanted to share an update on the work underway at the school and respond to some of the questions that have come up.

Status of Repairs

The areas of the building which require remediation were sealed off with plastic on Monday around mid-day.  The work areas are all inside the isolated rooms.  Each area is sealed and under negative air pressure while work is being completed.

The break in the steam pipe has been repaired and the boilers are now being re-pressurized. The repair work appears to have corrected the problem as no new leaks were observed as the system regained operating pressure last night (Friday November 22^nd).  Later today, repairs will begin to the floor area which was excavated to access the broken pipe. In addition, work is underway to replace affected drywall, and ceiling tiles.  The replacement of drywall and ceiling tiles will continue in the isolated areas area after the school re-opens.  While work continues in the isolated areas, the custodial staff have been mopping and dusting walls, floors and desks throughout the rest of the building

Follow up on Mould Testing

Additional testing for mould was done on Thursday and the consultant has provided some more information which is attached. The consultant’s report indicates that test readings have dropped significantly.  Some parents have asked questions about how to read the mould test results and what the established acceptable limits are.  I have been advised that acceptable levels in mould testing results are based on comparative analysis (with outdoor air, or with indoor areas that are considered to be clean); there is no formally established acceptable limit.  The consultant has reported that after a second round of testing the results appear acceptable.   There have also been questions about why every room was not tested; mould testing is done as a sampling.  The OCDSB retains independent third party professionals to advise on sampling, testing and results.    Since the source of moisture has been corrected and cleaning has been continuous over the last several days, the possibility for continued mold growth and propagation throughout the building has been significantly reduced and therefore additional testing is not recommended.

Approximately 10 air scrubbers as well as dehumidifiers have been in the school over the past week.  Air scrubbers are provided to eliminate any unwanted particulates and moisture from the air. The scrubbers have been moved to different locations over the course of the week.  The air scrubbers will remain in place until Monday.  We will review the requirement to keep them at the end of the day on Monday.

Visit by Ottawa Public Health

On Friday, Ottawa Public Health visited the school.  They did not issue a report or make any recommendations, but did provide the following statement to be shared with the community:

Ottawa Public Health (OPH)  has visited the school and reviewed the clean-up and remediation plan being implemented by the OCDSB at Alta Vista Public School following a heating system steam leak.  OPH is satisfied with the response to this incident.  The impacted area has been closed off from the remaining school and daycare areas, and will remain so until the issues with asbestos and moisture have been addressed. This area is being kept under negative air pressure to ensure no contaminants impact other areas of the school.  

 OPH also noted that when there is exposure to mouldy environments there may be health effects, or none at all, and that persons concerned about any new or worsening symptoms should see a health professional so that all potential causes (including viral, bacterial, allergic, other) can be considered.

Renovation Work when there is Asbestos

Asbestos is present in a number of building products.   When left intact and undisturbed, asbestos containing materials do not pose a health risk. Asbestos containing material is not generally considered to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibers into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested.  Asbestos flooring, countertops, joint compound and ceiling tiles that are undamaged and in good condition are not. Asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor tiles, undamaged laboratory cabinet tops, shingles, fire doors, siding shingles, etc. will not release asbestos fibers unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way or have deteriorated significantly.

The risk of exposure to asbestos comes in the repair, removal and replacement of asbestos containing materials. When asbestos abatement work needs to be conducted, the OCDSB follows the legislated guidelines. The first steps in that process include sectioning off any areas of concern and posting notice that asbestos abatement work will be necessary.  The attached asbestos information sheet provides information about practices at the OCDSB.  Some parents have inquired as to why this information is presented in the context of Occupational Health and Safety. The reason for this is that the legislative requirements for asbestos and air quality in Ontario buildings and building remediation work are established as part of the Occupational Health and Safety legislation.

Decision Points on Reopening

In terms of re-opening, the following considerations will be made:

• Have the repairs to the broken pipe been completed?
• Is the steam plant fully operational?
• Is the humidity level consistent with regular operations?
• Do mould testing results show acceptable levels in the school?
• Is the remaining repair work in an area that is appropriately sectioned off and subject to negative air pressure?
• Will air scrubbers be required onsite?
• Is there a need for ongoing testing?

We will communicate with families by 7 pm tomorrow.  Thank you for your ongoing support as we work through these issues.

Guido Ronci

Principal

Mould Sampling Report – Alta VistaR.pdf

OCDSB Asbestos Fact Sheet Public (1).pdf

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COUNCIL 2 of 2 of response to Wednesday test results

Nov. 23 10:35 am

Good morning Mr Carson,

Thank you for your response. We have forwarded it to the parent group which is working to put together our questions/concerns. While we will have further questions, I am forwarding (below) this information to you as we would like responses to these questions/concerns at this time.

Thank you for your continued communications to help inform the parents of our community.

Janice Chamberlain & Nancy Solange-Dean

Please advise Council of the heating system pressure testing program that will be undertaken over this weekend and the Code that it will follow for review prior to stating or reopening the school.

Please confirm asap that air and mould testing will continue when reopening the school for a certain timeframe.

Please advise prior to reopening the school of further results of air testing after taking down barriers and of legionnaires testing in the heating water for review prior to reopening the school.

Please confirm the school is safe to reopen and why.

The report says the area was “sealed off Monday morning”. We would like to know the exact time each room was sealed off Monday. We know that the intermediate kids were in the music room during last block Monday because they were the ones who emptied it. What time was the bathroom sealed off?

We are referred to “mold in the workplace” but we aren’t just talking about a workplace, we are talking about an area that was directly occupied by 5&6yr olds over an extended period. Has the board accessed information on the health impact of kids this age?

The report states that there were 2 out of 3 high tests results that came back were in the sealed area but that area was only tested once.

The teacher workspace which adjoins the staffroom to the music hall is now closed off but wasn’t sealed last week. That space did not get tested nor did the hallway directly outside of the music room or the classroom right next to the music room. -why not? There were also no air scrubbers in the classroom that abuts the music room yesterday afternoon. There was one in the hallway but all classroom doors were closed.

One recommendation from Public Health is that things like blinds be washed down. What is being washed down and what rooms are covered in the wash down area? Would like to see the report of recommendations from Ottawa Public Health

We were told Public Health said the board shouldn’t have even done testing…is that because they were told the main area of concern was sealed off immediately Monday morning?! – again…it wasn’t! I would like to ask that Public Health be at the Wednesday night meeting

Can someone who knows more than I do please let me know what items tested are of significant concern to health? Ie: I don’t know what asbestos is on this lab report, same goes for toxic black mold – and don’t want to spend my day looking all of these up.

Where did they capture samples for the second air quality test?

Are they also running the air quality tests that take longer for results? What are the benefits/limits of the two kinds of testing?

Why hasn’t he board reached out to parents to learn about/collect information on the health impact of this environmental event?

What are the spore thresholds that are considered safe for the average population for the spores that were collected?

I understand that once sealed off, any asbestos would be contained. Here is my understanding of events and concern….the steam pipe broke over the weekend, the boiling steam traveled through the trench under the floor as far as the girls bathroom where there was significant dampness and high heat resulted. This bathroom has no door/the door is often propped open – I think?! My understanding is that the ceiling tiles are an asbestos concern due to the glue that binds them. So presumably over the weekend there was a water/damage/dripping/evaporation cycle. Would this be enough to cause asbestos to become airborne? I’m thinking location of that bathroom & the change of air pressure and air flow in the building caused by the courtyard doors opening and kids rushing in Monday morning would cause a significant disturbance to the air in that location potentially moving particles out of the areas that were later sealed off.

Did any Ceiling tiles break of fall prior to the rooms

OCDSB Alta Vista PS repairs -Update 2019.11.23

Nov. 23rd 3:17 pm

Update today

We have received updated from the the Superintendent of Facilities.

information embedded below link    https://altavistaps.ocdsb.ca/news/what_s_new/School_closed_on_november_21st_and_november_22nd

Email titled:

Update: Alta Vista Public School – Testing and Repairs Nov. 22, 2019 at 2:46 pm

Dear Alta Vista families,

On Wednesday, spore trap mould testing was done at Alta Vista Public School.  This provided information about the current state and will help to inform our work at the  end of the remediation stage. This work is guided by Canadian Construction guidelines which provide:

Air sampling may be performed upon completion of mould remediation activities, to confirm that an acceptable condition has been met before the containment barriers are removed. The most common air sampling method is spore trap or non-viable air sampling due to the advantage of immediate analysis.

The results of the spore trap mould testing, conducted on Wednesday included seventeen air samples, collected in locations throughout the school.

While some level of mould spores are common to any building, there were three areas in the school with elevated levels. Two of the three areas were inside the section of the building that was sealed off Monday morning, the third area was the hallway immediately adjacent the sectioned off area. The three areas are identified as:

• The music room (Room 114), where much of the repair work is currently taking place. (Sample AS-01)
• The corridor at the “T” junction outside the closed Girls Washroom. (Sample AS-03)
• The corridor out front of Room #122, down the hall from where AS-03 was collected. According to the consultant, the elevated levels in the corridor are likely from air movement from the area where the steam pipe leak was. (Sample AS-10)

The full report is available here and to facilitate use, the readings have been added to the floor plans (First Floor, Second Floor) which show samples were taken.

While repair crews are working to repair the leak, dehumidifiers and air scrubbers have been installed throughout the school to help reduce moisture and clean the air. An additional spore trap mould test will be conducted as part of our work. We will share the results of that information with the school community once the information is available.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has a resource document regarding Mould in Workplace Buildings which might be helpful to parents. Should your child have any symptoms related to mould, I would encourage you to speak with your doctor.

There have been some questions about asbestos.  Prior to this incident, the school already had detailed records in place of where asbestos could be found in the building. When it is left undisturbed, asbestos containing materials do not pose a danger. If damaged or disturbed during repair work, asbestos fibres can pose a serious health risk. The repair work is being conducted by qualified and experienced personnel, in accordance with Ontario regulations, to prevent the spread of asbestos fibres or exposure to repair crews, students and staff. This includes double-sealing rooms where repairs are taking place with plastic, and ensuring air is properly ventilated to prevent exposure during repairs. Any debris is promptly sealed and discarded.

Again, we will be sending you a further update by Sunday evening at 7 p.m. to confirm whether the school will be open on Monday.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

Mike Carson
Chief Financial Officer and Superintendent of Facilities