Lynn school custodians exposed to asbestos

LYNN – It shouldn’t have happened, but it did.That’s the way city officials are explaining how as many as four janitors were exposed to asbestos at the 100-year-old Fecteau-Leary School in mid-December.Michael Donovan, director of the city’s Inspectional Services Department, said the janitors working a weekend shift found broken floor tiles and a puddle of water on the school’s first floor. “They picked up the tiles and put them in barrels,” he said.According to Donovan, a steam leak buckled the floor, forcing the tiles to give way. “The tiles popped up and the custodians cleaned up the area,” he said. “It’s an old building. When we saw the situation, I reported the violation to DEP (state Department of Environmental Protection). I turned myself in.”DEP inspectors conducted tests on the tiles last Saturday and took air samples to determine if asbestos fibers remained in the atmosphere.”The tiles were not asbestos, but the glue or mastic that holds them in place did contain asbestos,” Donovan acknowledged Tuesday.”The DEP was in here Friday night to check the first floor. They didn’t find any asbestos dust, but the investigation is ongoing but we expect the results of the first tests tomorrow. If the results come back positive, we will have to decontaminate the area.”The barrels were taken to the basement of the school for alternative students. DEP inspectors have turned their attention to that area of the building near the custodial quarters.Ninety city employees have since attended an asbestos awareness class, Donovan said.”This is something that should not have happened. We have been talking to our employees to be sure they understand that things like this just can’t happen any more. They have to be able to recognize the potential danger and call for those who are professionally trained to deal with it,” he said.The Fecteau-Leary School on Lynn Commons, formerly Lynn Classical High School, was built in 1911. Four custodians are assigned to the building.