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August 17, 2013
Fort Myers, Florida - An electrician working inside the nearly nine-decades-old Tice Elementary School in downtown Fort Myers, Florida told WFTX- Fox 4 News that he believes his health is in danger because of the presence of asbestos inside the old structure.
Though the electrician in question told the news station that remodeling the school has been a positive experience for the most part, he noted that he and other workers worry constantly that they’re putting their health at risk, especially near a section of the hallway basement that’s cordoned off and has a sign hanging nearby that reads, “Danger: Asbestos”.
“They spray painted it a red color so that none of the workers drill a hole or disturb it,” who noted that he and other sub-contractors were told that the building was asbestos-free before they began their work there. “And now they're going back and having to cut out asbestos while there are workers in the building?” he questioned.
When Fox News contacted the Lee County School District, they would neither deny nor confirm the presence of asbestos at Tice Elementary School, though the material was commonly used during the era in which the school was constructed. But an email later sent to the news station noted that the district’s older schools do indeed contain some asbestos materials but when those materials are removed it is done according to Department of Environmental Protection standards.
The electrician, who refused to be identified, is uncertain as to whether that last statement is accurate. “The dust gets on your clothes, gets on your shoes it gets in your hair,” he said, “I don’t believe it’s a safe work area.”
Employees at nearby Tice Storage are worried as well and tend to concur with the electrician. “I'm breathing this stuff in, it's ridiculous,” said Teresa Melock, the resident manager at the company. “I shouldn't have to fear for my safety and my health.”
The workers and neighbors at Tice Elementary School have valid reason for concern. Inhalation of asbestos dust is dangerous and can lead to cases of mesothelioma and other related diseases. Government agencies have declared that no amount of asbestos exposure is safe for human beings.
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