Q: What happened?

A:This past summer, the Rocky Christian School Society undertook an expansion and renovation project on the Rocky Christian School (RCS) building, which is owned and operated by the society and leased by Wild Rose School Division (WRSD). The project was running behind schedule, and in a collaborative decision, WRSD and the Rocky Christian School Society determined the building would not be ready to open for the start of the school year. As a result, plans were made to temporarily house Rocky Christian School students and staff at École Rocky Elementary (ERE). For occupancy, hazmat testing was required at Rocky Christian School.  This testing was to be arranged by Rocky Christian School Society.

Q: What was the concern?

A: WRSD received written notification from the Rocky Christian Society early afternoon on Saturday, August 30th, that asbestos was identified in the RCS facility as a result of the renovation. Specifically, it confirmed the presence of asbestos in areas of the Rocky Christian School building that were disturbed during renovations. This resulted in the full closure of the building until professional remediation is completed.

Q: What is asbestos?

A: Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals once widely used in construction. When disturbed, it can release fibers into the air. Inhaled asbestos fibers can cause serious health issues over time. 

For more detail: Source: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/asbestos/whatis.html

Q: What has the timeline been for this situation?

A:  August 26th Rocky Christian School Society met with WRSD senior staff - decision to move RCS to ERE to support the start of the school year

• Movers were booked for August 29th to support student and staff as they transitioned from RCS to ERE
• Friday, August 29th movers arrived and commenced the move in the morning; however around 3:00pm the movers and staff were verbally told they were no longer able to enter the RCS building due to testing results - however, WRSD was unable to receive confirmation of this as RCSS arranged the testing. 
• Saturday, August 30 at 1:30pm WRSD received written confirmation that asbestos testing from RCS was present within Rocky Christian School in specific locations and further testing would take place.
• Following this information (within 30 minutes of receiving this information) ERE was closed to all staff as materials and furniture from RCS had been moved into ERE. Until this confirmation, WRSD had received no prior direction regarding the ERE site. 
• WRSD began developing a response plan to support the safety and wellbeing of students and staff on Saturday, August 30 immediately after receiving written confirmation.

Q:How was the concern handled?

A:  After receiving confirmation of the issues at RCS, WRSD advised their staff via email that they were to stop work in the ERE building and remain out of the facility until we received clearance to safely return.  On Sunday, WRSD reached out to certified industry professionals for assistance with determining any possible contamination and steps to resolve if required. Certified industry professionals arrived at ERE on Monday morning to begin testing.   The testing process indicated the requirement for cleaning which was completed and overseen by the certified industry professionals and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.

Q: What was the concentration (fibres/cc)?

A: Of the eight (8) Background Air Samples collected on Monday, one (1) of the samples (Room 6) had an elevated fibre concentration of 0.013 fibres/cc of concern. This was one of the classrooms to which RCS materials were moved to.

Q: Was it above or below the threshold for safe occupation?

A: It was well below the threshold. Room 6 had a fibre concentration that is slightly above 10 percent (0.013 fibres/cc) of the Alberta OHS Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) for Asbestos of 0.1 fibres/cc. The actual OEL or "threshold" for Asbestos is 0.1 f/cc. Although this result is only about 10 percent of the OEL, we still consider this unacceptable for safe occupation and therefore initiated cleaning / decontamination protocols in all areas / rooms of ERE that Facilities staff had noted potentially affected furniture / items were placed.

Q: Did the certified industry professional contractor complete air monitoring to prove the space is safe for entry ahead of entering the building?

A: Yes, we are currently conducting air monitoring in all spaces where potentially foreign / contaminated items have been placed, as well as hallways, administrative wing, staff lunch room and many other rooms throughout the school. We will also be conducting air monitoring within accessible HVAC vents and ducts (after they are cleaned) to ensure no contaminants have migrated throughout the system. Our goal is to collect as many air samples in as many areas of the school as possible to ensure the space is safe for re-occupation.

Q: What about staff who were in the affected area?

A: 

• Staff can report the exposure through Public School Works - hazard and near-miss reporting.  If your questions or concerns remain unaddressed, please discuss with your immediate supervisor and Health and Safety Liaison.
• Consider talking to a doctor as per the Alberta Asbestos Abatement Manual.
• WRSD will maintain communication with staff and the public until this situation is resolved.

Q: Who is managing the cleanup?

A: A certified industry professional contractor is handling all remediation efforts. All procedures follow OH&S regulations.

Q: Will there be a long-term health risk?

A: Short-term exposure to asbestos, especially at low levels, typically poses a very low risk. However, we are taking all precautions. 

Q: Is the school safe to attend?

A:Yes, all areas have been deemed safe by Occupational Health and Safety. 

Q: Who can I contact for more information?

A: Wild Rose School Division: contactus@wrsd.ca 

Definitions:

Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL)- In general, the occupational exposure limit (OEL) indicates the level of admissible exposure, for a length of time (usually 8 hours), to a chemical or physical hazard that is not likely to affect the health of a worker.

Source: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/occ_hygiene/occ_exposure_limits.html