State investigating after complaints of elevated carbon monoxide in Durham County Human Services building

A spokesperson for the DOL says the complaints were filed between Jan. 18 and Feb. 8 of this year.

Multiple Durham County employees who work in the building reached out to WRAL Investigates concerned for their health and others' too. They are also concerned that the county is not being transparent enough.

A total of 12 employees have filed a workers' compensation claim among the approximate 700 employees working in the HHS building, according to a county spokesperson.

The county said in a letter sent to employees that two employees "became ill and were transported to the hospital."

According to the county, given the nature of the two hospitalized employees' symptoms, staff contacted the Durham County Fire Marshal’s Office to conduct carbon monoxide testing.

Other employees told WRAL Investigates they and their coworkers have been suffering for weeks, if not months, from nausea, headaches, fatigue and even fainting in the office. They learned in mid-January of the possible elevated level of carbon monoxide in their workplace, and believe that may be to blame. They fear the issue may have started months prior.

Internal emails provided to WRAL Investigates show the Durham Social Services director notified employees of a possible issue in mid-January. Employees say that email was followed with a virtual meeting. The emails from the DSS director are vague, referencing a possible indoor air quality issue impacting at least part of the building.

One email from Feb. 13 states "that the third-party engineers that the county brought in last week think they have identified the issue, and it may be a boiler issue that can be resolved more quickly. We will know more next week but hopefully this is the source, and it can be fixed quickly."

WRAL Investigates spoke to several employees, including one who did an anonymous interview. She asked we not identify her as she fears retaliation.

Regarding the virtual meeting, she says employees were told "that there has been carbon monoxide that has leaked into the building, and that people had been complaining of headaches and that was probably where that was coming from."

She told WRAL Investigates that the employees who work in the building have received very limited information, and that the general public who visits the building has not been informed at all of the issue.

As for why she came forward to WRAL Investigates: "I wanted the clients that are coming into the office, I wanted them to be aware. But I also wanted other people we work with to be aware, if they haven’t been fully informed."

The building is home to the County Health Department and County Social Services Department, among others.

"I think it should be a number one priority," the employee told us. "We’re there to give benefits to the people of Durham County and if we’re not in our best health or in good health being in the building, then we’re not going to be able to provide those benefits."

Employees told us they are still being asked to work in the building, though some have been moved to different parts of the office.

"It really feels like a slap in the face," the anonymous employee told us. "It feels like they expect us to be there, they expect us to give our all."

On Friday, WRAL Investigates contacted Durham County to inquire about the employees' claims.

"The county has taken, and will continue to take, meaningful steps to protect our employees and our visitors to the building," a county spokesperson wrote in an email to WRAL Investigates. "Their safety is our highest priority.”

The county spokesperson states that "out of an abundance of caution" it has moved staff "from the potential area of concern and placed carbon monoxide detectors throughout the location and building."

The county spokesperson said carbon monoxide detectors were installed between three to five weeks ago, which is after the issue was first noticed in late December 2023.

WRAL Investigates also asked the county how high readings of carbon monoxide had been. The spokesperson said the readings of carbon monoxide in the biulding have been considered normal.

"During monitoring for [carbon monoxide], the max level was 9 ppm which was recorded in [January]," the spokesperson wrote. "This level is under the OSHA PEL of 50 ppm and NIOSH’s PEL of 35 ppm for carbon monoxide exposure levels."