Research

References


Resolving a social and environmental crisis in a media library

Christine de Pisan Municipal Media Library, Poissy. Photo: City of Poissy

Repeated and partly unexplained illnesses affecting the staff of the Poissy Media Library west of Paris led the municipality to close the facility for several months and seek the help of the CSTB to resolve the problem. The CSTB put together a multidisciplinary team of experts (airflow management, thermodynamics, indoor air quality, psychology, sociology) for a complete diagnosis of the situation. After inquiring about the first actions taken to improve indoor air quality, the CSTB analyzed the technical information available and inspected the premises and facilities. It also worked with the stakeholders to explore the impact of the library's organization and human factors on the occurrence of the problems. The implementation of an action plan, created in collaboration with municipal teams, made it possible to resolve the issues. This involved optimizing indoor comfort conditions for the staff, conducting targeted information and communication activities and regularly monitoring the staff through the prevention department of city hall to prevent the occurrence of similar situations. The refurbished premises of the media library reopened on September 30, 2017.

On March 17, 2017, when we found a malfunction in the ventilation that caused health problems in our staff, we immediately decided, with library teams, to close the facility. We then had to identify the problems and find a method to resolve them. Getting help from the CSTB was invaluable and enabled us to return to a normal situation. The city invested 162,000 euro to start over on a completely sound basis. Our policy is never to compromise when it comes to the health and safety of our staff and the citizens of Poissy.

Karl Olive, Mayor, City of Poissy
  • Client: City of Poissy
  • Location: France
  • Year: 2017