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Date: 12/21/2022
ENFIELD, CT – Concerns and complaints about safety and health hazards culminated in a Dec. 8 rally on the campus at Asnuntuck Community College with members of the faculty, staff and student body drawing attention to recent incidents involving natural gas lines and college welding labs.
Elle Van Dermark, a history professor at Asnuntuck, said more than 100 people walked through campus buildings and the outside areas during a two-hour lunchtime demonstration. Some in the crowd carried signs reading, “We’re outside because it’s dangerous inside.”
The issue is natural gas leaks reported in three separate instances over the past year. The incidents occurred in the campus welding labs, requiring evacuations and closure of facilities for varying lengths of time.
Van Dermark, who describes herself as a former licensed plumbing contractor said, “This is not rocket science … gas lines are scary but they are not that complicated.”
Dr. Michelle Coach, Asnuntuck’s chief executive officer, said there were three incidents in the last year’s time, the most recent occurring on Dec. 5. Couch said on that day testing and inspection of units on the roof of the building housing the welding labs was being conducted and the lab exhaust fans were not turned on as people were in the lab.
“They activated an alarm; the gas was turned off and we were out of the building for half an hour,” she said
Coach said that was an error, a matter of fans not being turned on as opposed to a gas leak.
An incident reported on Nov. 18 concerned a leak during the installation of new valves in the building. Coach said new piping on the roof sustained a leak and gas entered the lab. Occupants were evacuated and the gas shut off.
The lab area where the incidents have occurred has not been occupied by students or faculty for several weeks as contractor teams address work on the roof.
Couch said one adjacent lab is fully functional. The second lab is still subject to further repair and additional financing and is not in use.
Among Van Dermark’s claims are what she calls a lack of clarity in who bears responsibility for “making changes and who bears the responsibility for providing a safe working environment.”
Van Dermark also points a finger of blame at Asnuntuck facilities management; something she said has long been a “challenging” working relationship.
Coach said in those instances as indicated in the Dec. 5 occurrence, an email notification was sent to faculty, staff and students and followed up on once the issue was investigated and corrected.
When at full strength the labs feature 70 welding booths spread over 25,000 square feet of work space. The affected labs have remained closed during testing and repair work with welding students utilizing an adjacent work area.
Coach noted the recent rally took place at the same time testing of the components was underway to allow for the open welding lab to be classified as safe and operational.
Classes ended for students on Dec. 16 and Coach said arrangements are currently underway for students to make up any work or practicum missed due to closures at the beginning of the spring session.
Coach meanwhile said Vandermark has never been in the room and has never seen the gas detection and alarm system, which she said is monitored 24/7 and due to be upgraded.
She also said issues are only with the welding area and much of the repair work and proposed issues will be addressed with a plan by the end of the year.