Federal government ordered to address air quality at Gatineau complex

Headaches, shortness of breath, allergy flare-ups, nausea: these are some of the symptoms reported in a poll of federal workers on the 19th floor ofLes Terrasses de la Chaudire in Gatineau.

Now Radio-Canada has learned a labour inspector with the federal government has ordered the employer to fix more than a dozen labour code violations by Friday.

According to the ministry,171 employees with Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada were crammed together on a floor where theHVAC system was only delivering enough fresh air for 105 people.

"The employer did not ensure the HVAC system was modified to meet the standards [laid] out in the [occupational health and safety regulations]," according the report written by investigator Jenny Teng following her visits to the offices on Sept. 19 and 20.

Teng identified a number of reporting and transparency problems related to previous investigations of the issue, and foundthe employer "has not taken care to eliminate all risk" to employees.

No evidence of air quality problem at Les Terrasses de la Chaudire: MP

6 years ago

Duration 0:50

Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon responds to concerns about air quality problems at a federal office complex.

'Not enough air'

The poll of workers at LesTerrassesde laChaudire took place July 20-30, and receivedresponses from 75 per cent of the employees on the 19thfloor "arate of participation that makes the results extremely pertinent, especially since it was undertaken in the middle of the summer vacations," according to the report.

Of those who responded, 98 per centreported at least one of the 12 symptoms listed, and 81% named two. The symptoms includedheadaches, allergy symptoms, sneezing, coughing, fatigueand respiratory problems.

Eighty-seven per cent reported headaches, while 65 per cent reported feeling like there was "not enough air."

Only three of the 131respondentsreported no symptoms at all.

An 'operational issue'

The employees' occupational health and safety committee also sounded the alarm about conditions on the 19thfloor in early September. The committee's report cited earlier investigations, including one dating back to 2014.

The committee recommended slashingthe number of employees housed on the 19thfloor.

GatineauMP StevenMacKinnon, who's also parliamentary secretary to Public Servicesand Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough, said the conditions on the 19thfloor are an"operational issue" that would be left to local managers to decide.

At the same time, he said the government has indicated to decision-makers that it wants to get to the bottom of the problem.

Department taking action

MacKinnonsaid earlier independent air quality assessments suggested no levels of toxicity representing a threat to workers' health and safety.

"We do however, accept that employees have concerns," MacKinnon said.

William Olscamp, a spokesperson with Indigenous Services Canada, said "immediate actions" are underway to address the issues raised in the latest inspection report.

Olscampsaid an "action plan" is also being developed to respond to the problems brought up in the employee survey, "to improve the safety and well-being of employees in the workplace."

MacKinnonsaid theHVACsystem would be part of a planned major renovation of LesTerrassesde laChaudire.

Bat infestation

The Ministry of Labour inspector also inspected and confirmed several Labour Code violations on thesixth floor of a second federal office building at15-25 rue Eddy, also inGatineau.

That building has been cited for problems related to water infiltration, mould anda bat infestation.

The inspector found the employer failed to protect employees from the presence of bats and bat droppings despite knowing about the problem more than two years ago.