David BrodyIn the course of renovations of Ridgley Hall, workers unearthed and are removing asbestos from two sites in the building. The asbestos, found in floor tiles on the ground and third floors, is in non-friable “chunk” form and not in the more dangerous friable form, which is airborne.
“There’s no asbestos problem on campus,” said Ralph Thaman, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and management at Washington University.
Until 1972, asbestos was frequently used in building construction across the country. So, when the University looks to renovate older buildings, they sometimes discover asbestos in the floors.
This week, rooms on the ground floor in Ridgley have been sealed off while a company comes in at night to remove the “chunk” or non-friable asbestos. The company installed critical barriers and filters around the rooms, and workers wore protective suits during the removal process.
Workers did not find friable asbestos in Ridgley. Unlike “chunk” asbestos, the highly dangerous friable variety comes in a powdered form and can be inhaled.
Ridgley houses the Department of Romance Languages. Employees say they worry about the danger of the construction projects.
“I think people need to be reassured that they’re proceeding in a safe manner,” said Kathy Loepker, who works on the third floor of Ridgley. “I feel that the University-they’re not communicating with us. How do we know if it’s being done properly?”
Loepker said yesterday morning she found dust all over the stairways in Ridgley. She called maintenance and someone came to clean up the debris.
“How do I know that wasn’t dangerous?” she said. “I just want to make sure that they’re doing this correctly. I think there is a lack of communication.”
Steve Rackers, manager of capital projects, said the form of the asbestos in Ridgley does not present a danger to people working near the sealed-off rooms.
“Unless somebody’s sanding on the floor, it’s not a problem,” said Rackers,
The University is renovating two old language labs on the ground floor to make one large classroom. Students exiting the food service line in Holmes Lounge by way of Ridgley are confronted by these two sealed-off doorways, with large danger signs warning of asbestos in the rooms.
Upstairs on the third floor, the University has blocked off rooms that will later be used as offices for romance language employees. The asbestos removal of these rooms has not yet begun. Faculty and staff will continue to work on the third floor during this renovation.
Rackers said the people working on the third floor understood that the asbestos removal was not dangerous to their health.
“We tell them what’s going on and they know what’s going on because of the [renovation] project. By laws and regulations, you’ve got to protect the public,” said Rackers. “The only thing is, when you put up those [danger] signs, sometimes the public gets a little alarmed.”
Employees working in Ridgley said they would like to be more involved in the process, especially considering questions about the potential danger of asbestos removal.
“I think it would be great if when this work is going to take place, they just say, let’s have a meeting, anybody who has questions about how we’re going to remove it, you can attend the meeting,” said Rebecca Messbarger, an associate professor of Italian. “No one is hysterical. We just want to know when it’s going on and how long it’s going to take.”
However, Messbarger said she wants to avoid the construction area more for her allergies than for worries about asbestos poisoning.
“I’m not really worried about it,” she said. “I assume the University is going to do the right thing.”
Senior Lauren Kaczmar, who attended a meeting in Ridgley yesterday, agreed.
“People have been taking care of asbestos for years and I feel like they know how to do it,” she said.
Last month, the men’s bathroom in Urbauer Hall closed temporarily while workers checked for asbestos. Thaman said the testing proved negative.