College workers get £100k over carbon monoxide poisoning

Kelly Rodway, Kerry Townsend and Sadie Collins were awarded damages after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning

Nine hair and beauty staff have been awarded more than £100,000 after being poisoned by carbon monoxide.

The women, who worked at Havering College of Further and Higher Education, suffered symptoms including dizziness, vomiting and hair loss, Central London County Court heard.

Havering College denied the women had been poisoned between 2010 and 2012.

However, the judge ruled the college was "negligent" and had breached health and safety regulations.

The women worked at the college's Brentwood site.

'Chimney lining'

Landlords Essex County Council and the governing body of the now-closed Sawyers Hall College also fought the case.

The six-day trial heard how a boiler flue had been blocked by a disintegrating chimney lining, causing the potentially deadly gas to escape.

Judge Richard Roberts awarded the women the compensation after hearing how the blocked chimney led to carbon monoxide seeping from the basement into the teaching areas.

"The college failed to take any or any appropriate action in response to persistent complaints made by the claimants that they were suffering from headaches, nausea, lethargy, excessive daytime somnolence, irritability, vomiting and loss of concentration," he said.

Pregnant

One of the women, 35-year-old Kelly Rodway, was pregnant with her first child at the time.

She described to the court how she "broke down in tears" when she first heard about the fumes.

"I walked into work that morning and there was sheer panic. We were told to go to the hospital," she said.

"I didn't know if my baby was going to be okay and that's all I was concerned about. I just needed my baby to be okay."

Miss Rodway, whose child suffered no ill effects from the poisoning, said she had put her symptoms down to "the college being stuffy".

The women were awarded between £8,500 to £16,000 each.