Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell said yesterday the Ministry of Health is conducting a review of the police stations that were alleged to have mold.
The Nassau Guardian reported on April 27 that in 2013, remediation experts found that officers at 12 police stations and several other areas were working in conditions that could pose health risks. The company advised that it is "imperative that this matter be addressed immediately, as hazardous materials have been known to descend from ducts as well as branch off from fungal/mold-infested surfaces into the atmosphere of the working environment, which will negatively affect the well-being and performance of the staff of the Royal Bahamas Police Force".
The total cost of remediation was listed at $187,275. The Police Staff Association (PSA) has decried the lack of remediation efforts more than a year and a half later and has called repeatedly on the government to resolve the matter.
Bell said the 2013 report has "raised a number of eyebrows". He said he reviewed a document since the release of that report where the company estimated the remediation cost to be $897,000 - almost five times the original figure. Bell added that neither the Ministry of National Security nor the Royal Bahamas Police Force commissioned the report.
"In that context, it would not be appropriate for the ministry or the government to rely on such a report," he said. "But given the allegations, the ministry has asked the Ministry of Health to have the necessary studies and tests be done. If it is found, given the fact that we are concerned about safety in the workplace, then the appropriate action will be taken."
PSA Chairman Inspector Dwight Smith said last month the association will seek legal advice to recuperate officers' out-of-pocket expenses for illness as a possible result of the mold in the police station. On three occasions, Smith appealed to his superiors for urgent action on the matter - October 11, 2013, November 19, 2013 and again in April, 2015.
In a letter dated April 22, 2015, Smith wrote, "The impact and consequences of [the officers'] unhealthy working conditions and environment puts the lives of our members and the force generally at risk."
Smith received the report on the mold situation in November 2013. He claimed Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade, who has not commented on the matter, received the report at that time. But Bell said he was not aware of the 2013 report until it surfaced in The Guardian.
The review was requested soon after, Bell said. He could not say when the minister's review would be completed.
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