Unemployment offices relocated
Damage to 2nd floor of state office building in Utica
/ Laura Hand
UTICA -- In the aftermath of a weekend fire at Utica's State Office Building, an industrial hygenist says carbon monoxide and formaldehyde levels on several floors show no abnormalities. Both the State Labor Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner from the state Office of General Services say the building is safe and will remain open for business.
Workers were concerned, however, saying the smoke smell was on all 16 floors, and many had to clean up soot from desks.
They say the soot was everywhere, including in elevators.
Sarah Wagner, who works on the 16th floor, told us she's taking the day off after she started coughing at the smell.
She does mail, and says she had to use gloves to handle it, it was so dirty.
Carol Lowes, who works on the 6th floor, was leaving, saying that worries over air quality and the noise from fans made it difficult. She took a sick day and hopes the state will compensate her.
Gail Rice, who is also a union rep for the Public Employee's Federation, says there was grit all over her desk that needed cleaning up. She said that employees were not given any cleanup materials, and she was also concerned that air quality reports were not shared until later in the day.
Robert Hill, Deputy Commissioner from the state's Office of General Services, interrupted a family vacation to get to the fire scene. He called in private contractors, who began the damage repairs on Sunday, and hopes the work will be completed by the end of the week. The Saturday fire began in a computer server room in second floor Department of Labor offices.
The fire itself is still under investigation, but the industrial hygenist's report says because it happened on a weekend, the building's ventilation and cooling systems were shut down, and that kept smoke damages to a minimum. Fans with HEPA air purification filters were set up in all hallways and rooms, and Hill said that Monday night they'd bring in foggers to clean the air even further, so the building air will smell clean tomorrow.
Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner came in from Albany to inspect damages, and to see how the unemployment offices were functioning. With the second floor closed, the operation was moved to conference rooms on the first floor, and job seekers were being counseled and tested almost as normal. No computer job searches were available today, but that's expected to be fixed before the operation moves back to its renovated second floor home.
Gardner said there was no conflict between serving the jobless, and protecting workers--both functions of her office.
"If the building was unsafe," she said, "we would have found an alternate site."
As for workers, they have the option to take personal days if they feel their health is threatened by conditions inside the building.
For updates on available services, jobseekers are asked to call (315) 793-2218.
Click to read the letter, findings and recommendations from Ambient Environmental regarding the clean-up.
