Edson Rec Complex: What was the risk?
The saga of the Edson Rec Complex has surged on for many months from a controversial quick sale by the Town of Edson just before the municipal election, to the request for proposals to sell the building, to the more recent inspection by OH&S (Occupational Health and Safety) leading to its shutdown because of exposed asbestos.
The latest news from the Town of Edson is that the Rec Complex is undergoing asbestos remediation work. The work is expected to take around a month and will include some general maintenance that will allow the building to be reopened. Presumably council will then decide on what to do next. With the county most likely coming on board to partner with building a new rec complex one could reasonably expect that the old building can be sold for a reasonable price.
Game over, job done, time to move on with something else. Or is it? The Alberta Asbestos Abatement Manual, which can be downloaded here https://work.alberta.ca/occupationalhealth-safety/alberta-asbestos-abatementmanual.html , is long and detailed.
One may reasonably ask why the OH&S shut down a building completely as unsafe one day when it was operating normally for months/ years before that. We understand that visitors to the inside of the building had to wear a hazmat suit. We also understand that asbestos could have been distributed in the building via the heating and cooling system.
Asbestos does not make one sick or kill quickly. It can take decades before symptoms emerge and can even be masked by a person’s smoking or other environmental conditions.
It would not be unreasonable to ask for a report to be prepared stating what the risk to employees and visitors to the Rec Complex over the period of asbestos exposure and not a bad idea to set a bench mark health status for future monitoring.
How long was the asbestos exposed and circulating in the air? When was it noticed? Why wasn’t it reported? What type of asbestos was it? Was the risk known pre-OH&S inspection? What were the air measurements taken by the OH&S to make it shut the building down? What levels have people working and visiting the building been exposed to? Have employees and visitors been appraised of their rights and risks? Might there be a case for compensation? What should people do if they’re worried?
A good deal of the town visited the Rec Complex for a community dinner last year, over 2,400 we believe, over a quarter of the population of the town. Most likely the whole town and more has been inside the building at some point. Were they all at risk too? Is there a risk document from OH&S? High time, even it proves difficult, for some real transparency here. People have a right to know.
How long was the asbestos exposed and circulating in the air? When was it noticed? Why wasn’t it reported? What type of asbestos was it? Was the risk known pre-OH&S inspection? What were the air measurements taken by the OH&S to make it shut the building down? What levels have people working and visiting the building been exposed to? Have employees and visitors been appraised of their rights and risks? Might there be a case for compensation? What should people do if they’re worried?