Hospital Officials to Move Due to Asbestos

More than 100 hospital administrators will be forced to leave their offices at the Ventura County Medical Center today because of unusually high asbestos levels detected in their office building this week.

According to officials, the levels are not high enough to permanently shut down the Bard Building, located on Foothill Road behind the hospital, but they are a cause for concern.

“This is not a dangerous situation,” said Robi Klein, deputy director of risk management for the county. “The building is safe, but when we can respond to reducing the asbestos level, we do.”

The asbestos level, which was tested this week as part of a plan to upgrade the building’s ventilation system, was measured at 10% of the level considered dangerous by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Klein said.

When the building was last tested in August, its level of asbestos was very low, Klein said.

Pigeons nesting in the attic, where the asbestos is located, or this winter’s rains may have stirred the carcinogen, he said.

After gathering their belongings today, employees will be temporarily moved to offices throughout the hospital, Klein said.

Cleaning crews may start decontaminating the building as early as today. Employees should be able to return to their offices within two weeks, he said.