By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS, March
14 -- In the
aftermath of
Super Storm
Sandy, UN
staff
were left
“co-located”
with wet and
rotting paper,
then made to
work with dust
masks while
outside clean
up crew
members had
full
hazardous
material gear.
This,
Inner City
Press was told
in real-time
just after the
storm. But it
was finally
raised to
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon chief
of staff
Susana
Malcorra, who
passed the
issues for
response to
the chief of
Management,
Yukio Takasu.
Earlier
today,
Takasu gave
the UN
Secretariat's
spin. Inner
City Press has
exclusively
obtained and
now published
it:
From:
USG Yukio
Takasu
To: Barbara
Tavora-Jainchill
[Staff Union]
Cc:
Catherine
Pollard
[OHRC],
Jean-Jacques
Graisse
[DGACM], Kevin
Kennedy
[DSS], Dmitri
Dovgopoly,
Susana
Malcorra
[CdC]/NY/UNO@UNHQ
Date:
14/03/2013
Subject: Re:
UN Staff
working in
potentially
hazardous
parts of the
compound post
Sandy
Dear
Barbara,
1.
Reference is
made to the
letter dated
20 February
2013 from the
Chair
of the United
Nations Staff
Relief
Committee for
the victims of
hurricane
Sandy in the
City of New
York and the
Tri-state
communities
to you, which
you shared
with us by
email on 21
February 2013.
2.
I am pleased
to provide the
following
clarifications
to concerns
raised in the
letter:
3.
The letter
states that:
a.
UN staff
indicate that
they were
asked to
perform
cleanup and
maintenance
duties without
proper
protective
gear and/or
health and
safety
guidance,
although black
water and
increasing
mold spores
were
evident.”
Comments:
On
2 and 16
November 2012,
advice was
communicated
to
departmental
Executive
Officers by
the Director
of Facilities
and Commercial
Services
Division
(FCSD), in
conjunction
with Medical
Services
Division
(MSD),
informing them
of planning
for temporary
relocation
of staff and
clean-up
activities,
and providing
instructions
on the
means of
protection
required for
staff who
needed to
enter into any
flood-affected
area. This
included use
of eye
protection,
gloves and
N95 masks as
advised by
MSD. This
advice was
further
communicated
by
supervisors of
the various
departments to
their
respective
staff.
b.
Some staff
also noticed
that
contractors,
performing
similar duties
alongside
staff, were
wearing full
protective
hazmat gear
and
equipment.
Comments:
As
per normal
practice,
contractors
from the
professional
cleaning
company
initially wore
full
protection
gear; within a
few days,
however, it
was clear that
this was not
required and
they no longer
wore this
gear. It is
emphasised
that the level
of protection
recommended
for our staff,
i.e. N95 masks
and gloves,
was adequate
for the risk.
c.
One FMS
supervisor
finally held a
first
information
meeting on 19
November. It
was at that
time that
those staff
were given one
disposable
face mask.
Comments:
As
noted above,
the Director
of FCSD
communicated
with
departmental
Executive
Officers as
early as 2
November 2012,
which was
repeated on
16 November
2012. This
information
was further
communicated
to their
staff by DSS,
DGACM, DPI and
DM
supervisors. .
d.
Furthermore,
it has been
pointed out
that wet and
mold-laden
paper
and other
material made
hazardous by
the storm had
been
co-located
with staff.
This persisted
for several
months until
its recent
removal.
Comments:
One
of the main
concerns
during the
cleanup was
disposal of
damaged
material.
Early disposal
of wet items
was essential.
While some of
these items
had to be
retained
pending
validation for
insurance
purposes,
specific areas
were
identified for
storing these
items so
that drying
was maximised,
and the impact
on clean areas
and exposure
of staff was
limited.
e.
Some staff
continue to
work in areas
with moldy
vents/shafts
that
have not been
assessed or
cleaned since
Sandy.
Comments:
The
3B area has
been
independently
assessed as
having clean
air with
spore counts
well below
limits
required by
local host
country law,
as
communicated
to
departmental
focal points
on 21 December
2012 and
confirmed
again as
recently as 27
February 2013.
We have no
knowledge
of mouldy
vents or
shafts, and if
the Staff
Union has
evidence of
specific
locations
where this
might be the
case we would
appreciate
FMS being
informed.
f.
While many
staff members
of FMS visited
the Medical
Service
immediately
after the
storm, other
have also
visited
private
doctors
because they
are already
experiencing
some health
problems.
Because
of the
potential for
future
problems, it
is important
to ensure that
information
regarding UN
staff tasked
with working
in affected
areas
be properly
documented. We
have learned
from other
environmental
disasters
(nature or
man-made),
which resulted
in the release
of
environmental
toxins,
adverse health
effects may
not manifest
for
months and
sometimes
years.
Comments:
A
total of
fourteen (14)
staff members
approached the
Medical
Service
in the
aftermath of
Sandy to seek
advice. One
FMS staff was
provided
restriction
not to work in
3B. MSD has
also confirmed
that if staff
entered the 3B
areas, without
the benefit of
the protective
equipment
(gloves and
masks), it
does not
automatically
mean that they
will
have a
problem. Most
bacteria,
molds and
chemicals
cause
immediate
problems, not
problems that
occur months
or years
later.
Notwithstanding
the above, MSD
will be
sending
individual
emails to
those staff
who are known
to have been
in the 3B area
either for
clean up or to
retrieve their
personal
items,
providing them
this
information
and inviting
them to visit
the Medical
Service should
they have any
concerns. A
separate
communication
will also be
posted
on iseek for
the general
information of
all staff.
5.
Please rest
assured that
the safety of
our staff is
of primary
importance to
us, and we
will continue
to take the
necessary
steps to
ensure that
this is not
compromised.
Yukio
Takasu
Is
this
acceptable?
Ban has asked
to meet with
Staff Union
officials
next week.
Some are
refusing to
go. Those who
do, will they
seek
public
retraction of
the claim that
New York UN
staff are
selfish?
Will they
address and
rebut the
above? Watch
this site.
, 
