Government's Health and Safety officer will inspect all of the Government's middle schools before they open next week.

Health and Safety Officer Doris Foley-Millett confirmed yesterday that that she had received a reauest from the BUT asking her to certify that all of the schools were safe to work in. (See story on Page 1) .

She said she anticipated working very closely with the Education Department to see what could be done within the week.

"I would like to be able to meet with the Department of Education and the contractors involved to see what works have to be continued and the safety arrangements,'' she said, explaining that the onus was on the Education Department as the employer to "assess the risks or hazards'' at schools which have been renovated this summer and come up with the solutions.

However, she said her department would act as an advisory and enforcement agency.

"We have to ensure that they are providing an environment that is safe and it is their responsibility to ensure the maintenance of it to the various codes of the Department of Planning,'' Mrs. Foley-Millett said.

"We carry out assessments and if we find there are various contraventions of our legislation or in our opinion that it is an unsafe site, where there is imminent risk to life, then we would issue a notice of contravention that will say what has been contravened.

"And an attached schedule will give them items requiring attention. It will have to be remedied by a certain date.

"Otherwise we work very closely with them to make the arrangements so that persons are not placed at risk and yet the facilities can still be opened. It really depends on the situation at hand.'' The Health and Safety Office will have to look at the arrangements for ensuring the safety of teachers and the students, she added.

This included access in and out of the buildings, pathways, and the interior of the buildings.

"When you're dealing with newly-renovated properties, you have to consider things that will affect their health,'' Mrs. Foley-Millett pointed out. "For example, freshly-painted buildings and inhaling the fumes. You have to make sure there is adequate ventilation. This is primarily the major concern, the inhaling of fumes. Then you have to look at the condition of furniture and its location, lighting, etc.''