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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCS-07-82DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES REPORT TO GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CS -07 -82 3 Cb) OFFICE TELEPHONE 623.3114 TOLL FREE 987 -5039 40TEMPERANCESTREET BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1 C 3A6 MEETING OF MARCH 22, 1982. SUBJECT: CS- 100 -81 "THAT the report of the Durham Health Unit regarding Carbon Monoxide levels in the Police & Fire Building, i Church Street, Bowmanville, be referred back to the Director of Community Services for a second opinion on the solution of the problem and he report back to the Committee as soon as possible. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. That this report be received for information. BACKGROUND AND COMMENT: The above - mentioned resolution pertains to an incident which occurred on April 8th, 1981 in Court Room #1 of the Police and Fire Building in which three (3) people experienced symptoms of a minor degree of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Durham Regional Health Unit conducted a follow up investigation, due to the incident in question, of exhaust entering the court room through the ventilation system. The Health officials felt that the incident which occurred on April 8th, 1981 is considered to be remote, however, could reoccur. The M. C. C. Powers Company of Rexdale, Ontario recommend the following steps to be taken: .../2 %A REPORT TO GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE (,larch 22, 1982) CS -07 -82 Page 2. (a) The installation of a second exhaust fan. (b) Relocate the intake grill on the existing exhaust fan duct system to avoid obstruction of the air flow. (c) Ensure that the exhaust fans are running at all timeg- during the warm up of the trucks. As the resolution in question called for, a second opinion was requested. Mr. Dennis Pilkey, P. Eng. of Totten Sim Hubicki Associates conducted several tests regarding carbon monoxide problems. Mr. Pilkey recommended that the return air ducts in the Fire Station of the Police and Fire Building be sealed with duct tape. The recommended work was carried out by Harvey Partner Ltd. at a cost of ($311.08). On Monday, March 8th, Mr. Pilkey and Mr. Flieder of Totten Sim Hubicki Associates ran a number of tests which resulted in no presence of carbon monoxide. Since the sealing of the return air ducts were completed in December of 1981, we have received no complaints of caron monoxide. Please find attached a complete Report from Mr. Dennis H. Pilkey, P. Eng. CONSULTANTS totten sims hubicki associates Durham Regional Health Unit 301 Golf Street r'_ * G. L. TOTTEN B Sc., P.Eng. R. E. SIMS B.A.Sc., P.Eng. J. M HUBICKI B.A.Sc., P,Eng, R L WINDOVER M Sc., P Eng. 1, f; F Fir III.TL BASc, PE n() TOTTEN SIMS HUBICKI ASSOCIATES (198 1) LIMITED 1 500 HOPKINS STREET, WHITBY, ONTARIO L1N 2C3 (4161668-9363 March 9th $2 fl MAR Oshawa, Ontario U ` ' s y MAR 12 1982 Attention: Mr. T. A. Fanning, Director of Community Services Re: Possibility of C.O. in the Police and Fire Building in Bowmanville Gentlemen: Thank you for the time you and Jim Rayman afforded me. during my visit on July 30th, 1981. We have reviewed the correspondence on the subject and have made a brief examination of the building air handling systems and have the following comments. The building is heated and cooled by two separate air handling systems, one services the police division on the first floor and the other the court facili- ties on the second floor. The fire department is heated by several heating units. The police division heating unit is located in the boiler room and the court heat- ing unit is located in a room in the north end of the basement with an air intake located ou the roof. The supply rind return rilr ducts to the court area pass through the celllu}), NI-011 of the fire IhIl I V,,"I'nl'P- A four foot high Arun wray oil the west side of the building provides con1b11sLtou x111(1 vcnuLlIatioil rllr to the boiler. room. Three roof fans exhaust the various washroom areas. If CO gas was getting into the courthouse the only realistic source appears to be the garage when the fire vehicles are running, but this gas should not be able to enter any other part of the building as the separating walls and ceilings would have been constructed with a fire rating. However, if the duct and pipe penetra- tions of the walls and ceilings were not properly sealed the gas could be leaking into other parts of the building. The only other possible means of transfer would be through seams in the return air duct running through the garage. The gas would then be returned to the air handling unit and then be distributed throughout the entire court area through the supply air ducts. if CO gas was entering through the air intake on the roof it would also be distributed throughout the court area. If It. wris el t-o r i ol" I hroop,h the• boiler- room combo;; t i on rri r npp] y i_t: would be more likely to be d.etec.t.LSC.) on the po.l.fce I lcior. On August 11th, 1981, I revisited the fire hall with Mr. Kurt Flieder of MSA. Mr. Flieder had a portable CO detector with him. Readings were taken in the court room and no abnormal levels of CO were detected. The fire trucks were then started up in the same manner as they are started each morning. The readings three minutes later at the supply diffusers in the court house reached 120 ppm. Eight minutes after the truck starting sequence was com- plete, the readings dropped to 10 ppm. i - 2 - A single truck was then started and allowed to run for 10 minutes, the readings in the court room near the diffusers reached a maximum of 300 ppm. The readings beside the truck reached 500 ppm. Seven minutes after the truck was shut down the court room readings dropped to 40 ppm and to 20 ppm after 22 minutes. The above tests clearly indicated that the CO was being transported from the garage to the court room by means of the return ductwork in the garage and the supply ductwork to the court room. Upon the basis of the test results we recommend that you hire a contractor and have all the joints and seams in the return ductwork in the garage sealed. After receiving word from you that the work had been done, Mr. Flieder and myself returned on March 8th, 1982 to repeat the tests. Before the truck engines were started readings for CO levels were taken in the courtroom and in the rooms at the north end of the basement. There was no indi- cation of the presence of CO. The engines were then sL;W Led in sequence as Is done every morning and the maximum CO level at the diffusers in the court room was 5 ppm. Then one engine was started and left running for five minutes and the maxi- mum CO level did not exceed 10 ppm. These Levels of CO are considered to be very acceptable. Therefore, we feel that you have been successful in the prevention of CO spreading from the garage to the court room. Readings taken in the rooms at the north end of the basement after the engines were run indicated CO levels of about 50 ppm. These levels would be significantly reduced if all doors leaving the garage were kept closed whenever the engines are running. Also, the garage should be ventilated after the starting sequence each morning by opening the overhead doors for two or three minutes. Should you require any further clarification on any of the foregoing, kindly con- tact this office at your convenience. Yours truly D. H. Pilke, DHP /dh