Comments from employees in the University Services Building:

July 9, 2003
9:47 a.m.
They have been putting hot tar on our roof for the last four or five days. The smell is extremely strong. There's a couple of people that could possibly be out due to the smell and no one is seeming to feel like this is any kind of problem. I feel like it is. It's unbearable and I feel like it's hazardous.

July 9, 2003
10:02 a.m.
There's been a roofing project going on using, it looks like, hot tar for a number of days now. The smell in the building — sometimes it's bad, sometimes it's not so bad, but it's always there lingering. I know I've been just having kind of a fuzzy-headed feeling, a little bit of a headache going on. There are other people with much worse symptoms. But I just feel the need to call and report it. I don't think it's a good working condition. I don't think we should be subjected to working in an unhealthy environment even if it's short term. I don't know any long-term effects, but it doesn't make any of us feel real well while we're working at our desks.

July 9, 2003
10:50 a.m.
I was calling because I had a concern about the tar smell in the Services Building here. It's been going on, I guess, since last week, and it just seems like for some reason today it is just awful. I've had symptoms of headache, nausea, and today I'm just feeling like I'm going to pass out. I just wanted to express my concern. I'm not really sure how long they will be working on the roof, but I'm thinking that it's just not healthy for the people that work here. We've had several people go home sick.

Response from Richard Rafes, senior vice president for administration:

Roof repair began on the University Services Building on June 27. Due to several complaints, the outside air intakes on the ventilation system were closed on July 1 but were inadvertently opened prior to the July 4 holiday. This was not discovered until the morning of July 7, and the odor was particularly bad in some of the offices. Outside doors were opened to ventilate the offices and high-volume exhaust fans were placed in the building to help combat the odor. I visited the building during the week of July 14 to investigate the odor and it appeared to have fully dissipated. We regret that this oversight occurred and have notified Facilities to take extra precautions in the future to prevent this from occurring again.

The work was necessary due to a damaged roof and is necessary to the building's preservation. Please know that every employee's comfort and safety while at the workplace is of paramount importance to this university.

If you have a comment, complaint or compliment about the university, call Answer Line at (940) 565-4100 and leave your remarks on the recording. Please be specific.

Your message will be directed to the appropriate officials and a response may be published on the InHouse web site. Questions may be edited for clarity and brevity. Unsubstantiated personal accusations will not be published.

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT plans second annual beautification day
• Cleanup continues at Clark Hall following small fire
• Spring brings Texas severe weather season
• Regents approve honorary degree, authorize new athletic center completion
• Staff awards presented at sack lunch
• April brings University, Alumni Appreciation, Honors days
• UNT student is a Truman Scholarship finalist
• Faculty Senate hears provost's academic plan for future of UNT
• Division of University Relations, Communications and Marketing earns three national awards
• TAMS students are semifinalists in national science competition

homepage