Schools
Marblehead School's Carbon Monoxide Detector Failed
Two janitors at the Coffin School in Marblehead were released from the hospital after being exposed to carbon monoxide.
MARBLEHEAD, MA — A carbon monoxide buildup at the Coffin School in Marblehead was not detected until after two janitors were sickened Friday morning because the building's hardwired carbon monoxide detector was not working.
The two janitors were released from Massachusetts General Hospital Friday afternoon after being given oxygen treatments. Emergency crews were called to the school just before 8 a.m. after a fan belt failed on the school's exhaust system, leading to a buildup of the deadly gas.
No students were involved in the incident., and the school was closed for the day. The Coffin School, which serves 224 first and second grade students, is expected to reopen Monday.
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According to Wicked Local Marblehead, school and fire department officials met with about 50 parents Friday night. They said staff will monitor air quality while the carbon monoxide detector is repaired. "I’m very confident that the issue has been taken care of," Interim Superintendent Bill McAlduff said.
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