Related Issues System Commissioning and Operation Schools are being built to replace portables, and decrepit schools and to keep up with the demand of increased population. After years of health complaints, it has been discovered in several cases that the ducting or the system was improperly installed. Roofs, windows, building envelopes, foundations, walls, and ventilation systems must be kept in good order if air quality and building integrity are to be ensured. Requisition orders for repairs or inspections go unheeded or ignored for long periods of time and the damage to the buildings becomes more severe and costly to repair. Leaks create mould, which feeds on school foundations and other building materials.
Further damage is done and people's health is put at risk.
Interior carpets and flooring must also be maintained. Torn carpeting or missing stair treads cause serious injuries when people trip and fall. The BCTF Health and Safety Advisory Committee has recommended that the Federation strongly oppose cuts to maintenance and that adequate staffing maintenance be in place. The Executive Committee is recommending this motion to our upcoming 2001 Annual General Meeting. The high occupancy rate and the multipurpose use of schools present a cleaning challenge.