July 2nd, 2007
Following concerns that were voiced by a number of staff members over the presence of asbestos, the University of Guyana will be relocating staff members from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Staff took it upon themselves to evacuate the building and work from elsewhere amidst concerns relating to asbestos contamination.
Asbestos is a substance that can cause severe health problems through exposure to its airborne dust and fibers, and this includes scarring of the lungs, respiratory problems, and mesothelioma, which is a form of asbestos related cancer. A meeting was held between the university's administration and the staff concerned, and this is where it was decided to provide another building to house the staff members from the department.
Staff members were angry about the amount of time that it has taken for the administration to deal with their initial complaint, which was made several weeks prior to the meeting. According to one staff member the problem seemed to have stemmed from the 1980s, and he added that he had seen a report where concerns had been highlighted and the administration had been advised to deal with the asbestos problem.
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