Workers Worry About Health at Interior's Headquarters

Renovations are never easy, and that's the case at the Main Interior Building.

Almost from the start in 2002, employees in the building have been concerned about dust and fumes, and those concerns continue, according to a survey by the Interior Department's inspector general.

In the survey, 28 percent of respondents from the headquarters building "stated that serious health and safety deficiencies exist in their workplace."

The report said "this high percentage" was probably caused by the modernization project, a multimillion-dollar upgrade of heating, air conditioning, plumbing and wiring in the building that is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

Departmental officials have tried to reassure the 1,700 employees at the C Street NW building that they are monitoring the renovation. Evaluations of health hazards were conducted in 2006 and 2007, and they produced recommendations to improve indoor air quality and address environmental problems.

Shane Wolfe, the department's press secretary, said another inspection has been scheduled for August. He said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne requested the audit because he is committed to improving health and safety practices across the department.

Barriers have been installed to minimize dust from construction areas, and an industrial hygienist is monitoring air quality in the building, Wolfe said.

The increased attention to construction practices has reduced employee complaints, from an average of three a month in 2006 to fewer than one a month now, he said.

The survey was conducted as part of an audit of Interior's facilities, which include 40,000 buildings, that are spread over 500 million acres nationwide. The survey was conducted from March to May 2007 and included responses from 9,133 employees.

In a letter accompanying an audit report, Earl E. Devaney, the inspector general, said that the department has made progress in addressing health and safety issues but that more needs to be done to protect employees and the public.

For example, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey employees in Wyoming worked for almost seven years in two buildings that were condemned and closed to the public in September 2000. Officials are addressing the issue, the report said.

Overall, 77 percent of survey respondents said they work in a safe and healthy environment, and 22 percent said they encounter serious health and safety issues in their workplaces.

Employees cited dirty air filters, inadequate building ventilation and falling brick dust in deteriorating buildings, the report said. Many respondents said they were concerned about mold, radon and asbestos. Others were concerned about being continuously exposed to rodent and insect infestations, the report said.

Others cited maintenance concerns, such as overloaded electrical systems, uneven walking surfaces and filthy restrooms.

Postal Workers Union Endorses Obama

Government unions are not lining up as a bloc behind either Democratic presidential candidate.

This week, the American Postal Workers Union announced it has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.). The other large union at the post office, the National Association of Letter Carriers, endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) last year.

The postal workers union represents about 272,000 postal employees, and the letter carriers union represents about 224,000 postal workers.

Obama also has won endorsements from the American Federation of Government Employees Council 220, which represents Social Security Administration field office employees, and the National Weather Service Employees Organization.

Clinton has been endorsed by the National Federation of Federal Employees.

Talk Shows

Rhonda Trent, president of Federally Employed Women, will be the guest on "FedTalk" at 11 a.m. today on http://federalnewsradio.com and WFED radio (1050 AM).

Anthony A. Arnolie, chief human capital officer and director of information and resource management at the National Science Foundation, will be the guest on IBM's "Business of Government Hour" at 9 a.m. tomorrow on WJFK radio (106.7 FM).

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.