Hospital Employees Fear Worst

August 23, 2006 - Long-time employees at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem, under fire for the excessive presence of asbestos, are starting to grasp the scope of their exposure to the hazardous material.  Furthermore, the expense of abatement at the hospital has kept the state from making the necessary repairs or doing essential demolition projects, further fueling the frustration of current and former workers.

"There is asbestos all over the campus," deputy hospital superintendent Maynard Hammer said in regards to the 144-acre complex that is home to the oldest psychiatric facility on the West Coast. 

Asbestos, notes an article in the Salem Statesman-Journal, can be found in dilapidated buildings, pipes, and tunnels located throughout the facility.  While some buildings are sealed off and entrance is forbidden, other areas could still be posing a danger to both employees and patients.

The article cites the case Ron Parker, a 28-year employee who’s worked at the facility as a baker.  Parker fears that he’s been exposed to asbestos that was used in the food-service area, particularly to insulate ovens and other heat-producing items.  The state hospital never provided him with asbestos information or education, Parker said. In hindsight, the retiree thinks the hospital shirked its responsibility.  Though he currently has no symptoms of exposure, he knows that asbestos-related diseases can lay dormant for many years.

Other employees are concerned about encountering damaged asbestos in the tunnels used to deliver supplies and escort patients.  Warning signs posted throughout the tunnels escalate their fears.

"We do so much of our legwork down in those tunnels," noted employee Lew Cronenberg, a veteran hospital worker and union local president. "That scares the death out of me. You just never know what's in the dust."

"People ask, 'Why hasn't the state demolished the building?'" Hammer said. "Well, it's not going to be cheap to demolish it. We're probably talking about several millions of dollars."

All the buildings at the hospital were constructed between 1883 and 1955, records note.  That’s prior to the asbestos danger warnings of the 1970s.   It is expected that all contain some amount of asbestos.