OSHA called to Toquam for mold
Teachers have been sounding alarm; now state will examine
STAMFORD — Toquam Magnet Elementary School teachers have been sounding the alarm for years about mold inside the school building, and a state agency is now going to examine the indoor air quality of the structure.
Olympia Della Flora, associate superintendent for school development, said Connecticut OSHA, or Occupational Safety and Health Administration, provides free consultation to cities and towns on safety and health, including air quality.
“We were proactive in reaching out to Conn. OSHA early in hopes of recruiting them to be an active team member as we operate and maintain Toquam to its highest standard,” Della Flora said, in an emailed response.
She said the district has received 10 complaints this year from educators in the building related to mold.
Della Flora said there have been “limited issues” with mold at the school recently, but that there have been several heat waves with high humidity recently, and parts of the school’s HVAC system are in need of repair.
“While the HVAC system is functioning to the best of its 1990 design and construction limitations, there is a re-piping project planned for summer 2022,” Della
Flora said. “The re-piping project should address the water flow issue within the dual temperature piping and resolve the air conditioning issue currently being encountered in the building.”
Additionally, because of the way the school was constructed and the location, the exterior structure has often failed to keep moisture out.
“All these items together result in a building that needs to be closely managed for water and moisture intrusion,” Della Flora said.
An assessment by environmental consultant Tighe & Bond on Aug. 25 found mold on multiple surfaces, including sheet rock, ceiling tiles, and pipe and duct insulation.
Della Flora said there are no current plans to move teachers and students into a new facility, as was done with Westover Magnet School in 2018. Students and staff there were relocated to an office building on Elmcroft Road owned by Building and Land Technology, where they remained for two years.
Representatives from OSHA were also called to Westover when mold was discovered at that school.
Diane Phanos, president of the Stamford Education Association teachers union, asked why Toquam isn’t being moved to a temporary home, as Westover was.
“Here they have been dealing with this for years and years and they are not getting the same treatment,” Phanos said.
Phanos said multiple teachers have reported they were not feeling well after being in the building, and several have gone to their personal doctors. One teacher, Phanos said, filed for workers’ compensation.
“It really is a very sick school,” Phanos said. “If you go over there and walk in, you wouldn’t believe how humid it is.”
Phanos said teachers have been measuring and tracking temperatures and humidity levels in their classrooms on their own. In some instances, teachers have recorded temperature and humidity levels in the 80s.
Teachers have also sent in photos of waterstained ceiling tiles, and in one instance, a video of a noisy air conditioner unit inside a classroom.
Phanos said on one day last week, five to six students were sent to the nurses office with bloody noses, which she believes is tied to mold issues at the school.
Della Flora said she was not aware of the incidents.
“I want the teachers to be healthy there,” Phanos said. “I’m not sure at this point if they can work to make that facility healthy for them to work in.”