Black Mold in GSA Buildings?
Recently, a number of federal employees were potentially exposed to black mold due to an ill-maintained government leased building. The watchdog report highlights that the Public Building Service (PBS) an agency of the General Services Administration (GSA) leased the Tampa, Florida building for Customs and Border Protection but may not have ensured that the building was properly maintained.
“PBS has not enforced the terms of the full-service lease at the Kress Building and may have exposed tenants to health risks,” Says the report “Specifically, we found that PBS did not hold the lessor accountable for maintenance and repair issues in a timely fashion. In addition, PBS failed to timely notify the tenants about the presence of black mold in a training room.”
Air conditioning systems further complicate problems like this black mold incident, by transferring particle within the building to new locations. In fact, in shared office spaces and situation where one HVAC system feeds multiple businesses or tenants, the issue may be even worse.
Here at Comfort First Products we believe one of the best solutions to Indoor Air Quality problems like this is to filter the incoming air at the discharge point, collecting allergens and many types of molds before they enter the workspace! The Comfort First Filtered Diffuser is a great tool to help keep your employees healthy and happy. Installation is simple and the existing backpan may be able to be used, making it even easier.
The adjustable louvres on our four-way filtered diffuser even allow air to be pointed away from staff who may have complaints of being cold from the overhead air vents blowing on them. This recent Black Mold case in Florida highlights exactly the kinds of dangers employees and tenant should be protected from.
The inspector general states in the report that employees “expressed concerns that the building is making them sick.”
You can read the full report here: https://www.gsaig.gov/sites/default/files/audit-reports/A160019_1.pdf