Kids sweat as air-con goes on blink at CHHS

| 15/01/2013

CHHS.jpg(CNS): The education ministry issued a statement on Tuesday admitting that the school is experiencing problems with the air-conditioning in the new Clifton Hunter High School in North Side. Officials from the ministry said the school was experiencing issues with the a/c system and repairs were underway. However, in order to carry out the repairs at the state-of-the-art facility, the air-conditioning system had to be turned off in four of the buildings on the site. The Lady Slater academy and the technology, performing arts and administration buildings all lost air conditioning throughout the day but the system was turned back on Tuesday afternoon in the performing arts building.

“We have been informed that repair work needed to return cooling to the remaining two buildings may take several days,” officials stated. “During this time, students and staff may experience higher than normal temperatures, but conditions at the school are being closely monitored and steps are being taken to ensure that theenvironment is safe.“

The ministry said it would provide updates to parents, students and staff as additional information becomes available.
 

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  1. Anonymous says:

    The leak was located and repaired, all parts of the school should have AC on by Friday. The leak was located in the underground chilled water pipe work which was completed by Tom Jones and Caribbean Mechanical (Andro). This pipework was pressure tested prior to occupation and passed with no leaks. It functioned for 5 months before a T fitting failed and cracked. Upon inspection of the failed fitting it was discovered that it occurred at a location where 2 chilled water pipes crossed. At this crossing the pipe work was not adequately back filled and did not have the required separation causing the pipes to settle touch and crack.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks for the anonymous yet apparently informed report.

      Unfortunately, you got my company's name wrong. It was not Andro but Caribbean Mechanical (High Schools 2008) Ltd. ("CMHSL") that did the MEP work on the project until it was terminated for convenience 2 -1/4 years ago by CIG in October 2010.

      Backfilling was not in the MEP contractor's scope of works therefore no blame for the problem could reasonably be assigned to the MEP Contractor, except for the usual could-have-should-have observations that 20/20 hindsight blissfully provide the Owner's Project Management Team. What about all the other crossing points that haven't failed (yet)?

      As my Mother used to tell me, if "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans, there'd be no work for Tinker's.

      Defects are to be expected in a complex project such as this and, had CMHSL (or indeed Tom Jones) been retained on the project through completion, and the subsequent one year defects liability period, I can say with absolute confidence that resources would have been applied by those companies to resolving the fault  free of charge to CIG, in specific performance of their contractual obligations.

      If the public wants someone to burn in effigy over this project, they should look no further than Mr. David Benoit, the man that recommended to CIG the termination of Tom Jones.

      Alan Roffey

      Former CEO of Caribbean Mechanical (High Schools 2008) Ltd.

  2. Extra Terrestrial says:

    Stupid is as stupid does.

    I have been in the business for almost 30 years and many other "local" people like me told the PPM jokers that this project was wrong in so many ways it was beyond a bad joke. The problem was/is we are locals…….what the hell do we know?!?! We are our own worst enemy. Sad, sad, sad.

  3. Anonymous says:

    It was built using the 'genius' Prof Heppell's idea$$  — for a building that would be more suitable in Canada, but not the hot tropics.

    Too much glass wall, little insulation + few windows.

    Sooow when the AC goes out what do u expect?.

    That's Government and it's imported Geniuses!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Well observed…just wish the Token local Architect had not just stood by and let the foreign consultants have their way.

    • Anonymous says:

      comming from Canada…that would be foolish there also.

  4. I need a leader says:

    Do you know why the loss of AC is a travesty?  Because the design of those buildings are inappropriate for this climate!  If government had the forsight and intelligience to incorporate some of the architectural features of those old-time Cayman buildings they probably would not have needed to be so reliant on AC in the first place.  It probably feels like a hot box in there without any proper ventillation or cross wind coming in.  What a waste of money and energy.  I wonder how much it cost to cool that huge building….?

  5. Anonymous says:

    How can this be?
    Did not the Cayman “dream team” build this school?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Just put in more windows….

  7. Anonymous says:

    oh the inhumanity…. will someone please think of the children!

  8. Anonymous says:

    uh oh! better call….   as if they didn't take enough off the people of these islands, and already the work is falling apart!

  9. Anonymous says:

    Someone might want to inquire about the water leak. I was told 10's of thousands of gallons of city water are leaking from somewhere under the structure.They don't know where from.

    • Joe the Plumber says:

      I can tell youexactly where it is coming from.  The leak.  That is why they pay us plumbers so much, expert knowledge and experience.

    • Anonymous says:

      There was a slip shod plumbing company that did some work at the schools after the original plumbing contractor left site and still in business. AAParently they broke some big A/C pipes under the ground that were never repaired. No one seems to care though, the gov will keep spending money to repair without anyone being held accountable

      • Bob T. Builder says:

        Oh for Pete’s sake! What were they thinking? A blind Shepheard would have better led those sheep.

  10. Anonymous says:

    "the Lady Slater academy"?? Who on earth is/was Lady Slater?

    • Anonymous says:

      The vessel Lady Slater was built in 1935 by the late Capt. Rayal Bodden, MBE. Built in George Town as a motorised sister ship to the Cimboco, the vessel would (even by today’s standards) still be classed as a “super-yacht”.

      • Anonymous says:

        I am 13:22. Thank you to both posters who provided a factual answer to my question. Much appreciated.

      • Anonymous says:

        The Lady Slater was named in honour of the wife of the British Governor of Jamaica during the ealry 1930. At that time the  Cayman Islands was a dependency of that island

        As far as I know the Cimboco was a motor vessel as well though she was built in the design of a schooner. .

    • Recently Enlightened says:

      It was the name of a historic Caymanian ship.

       

      The Lady Slater was built in 1935 by the late Captain Rayal Brazley Bodden, MBE.

       

      “The Lady Slater was the first passenger ship. She had verymodern features and opulent cabins. If you were taking her out of Cayman in those days, you’d be cruising in style!”

       

      http://des.edu.ky/CliftonHunter.cfm?subpage=685164&adminActivate=1

    • Anonymous says:

      she was our first 'sacred vessel'

    • Loopy Lou says:

      In a brave move awayfrom having to name everything after someone in order to get votes from their extended family, it was named a boat which has no significance whatsoever.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Several days to repair? I guess someone is running on foot to Miami for the parts.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Who buit the school? And who accepted(inspected) a/c system? Doesn't look like the state of the art to me.

  13. Loopy Lou says:

    Why should we have a/c in the schools at this time of year anyway?  What a waste of public funds.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't need a/c?? I bet most of you who liked the comment are sitting in your nice comfortable chairs at work with the a/c is on full blast (probably even wearing a sweater) ! Have you seen the design of these buildings? There are little to no windows. I would not want me or my child to have to sit in these conditions for a few days or any one else's child as a matter of fact. Yes it might be cool outside but how will the air get in? Don't punish the children for someone else's mistakes.

      • Anonymous says:

        View it less as "punishment:, more as "character building".  In fact one could even call it "nation building", but cost effective nation building.

  14. Anonymous says:

    A good thing this happened while humidity is relatively low and a nice breeze is blowing right? what you say…… the buidings are not really set up to optimize natural breeze?

    well then, it is said that sweating is healthy!

  15. Anonymous says:

    Growing up we did not know what AC was in a class room and we all turned out good.

    Now if we could only get the Iphones and bbm to break too then the kids might actuall learn something.

    Open the doors and turn on the fans. Too much comfort makes them lazy. 

    • Anonymous says:

      kids, I don't know what's wrong with these kids today.  Why can't they be like we were, perfect in every way……

    • Bosslady says:

      I am in total agreement…these children are too comfortable thats they they are not learning one earthly thing..the ac is blowing cool and all they can probably think of especially after lunch is a nice nap..

  16. Anonymous says:

    I'd love to have a more detailed report on how things are going at the new school. How many students are there? How about some interviews with students and teachers? 

  17. Anonymous says:

    How awful! …zzzzz

    We never even had a/c when I went to school!

    • Anonymous says:

      me neither, just 4 feet of snow to walk through

    • Anonymous says:

      But I bet there were windows that could be opened!! Have a heart. These kids don't deserve to sit in classroomsthat have no windows or windows that can't open. I work in a building that has windows that can't open and if the a/c is out (as it has been seversl times unfortunately), inside gets pretty hot, pretty fast and worse we're in the midst of a very bad flu season. 

  18. Anonymous says:

    That’s just some quality work proved by all thosecontractors looking for the government hand outs! Shit work for ridiculous Fees.

  19. Anonymous says:

    god forbid it gets hot its cayman its always bloddy hot here….

  20. Anonymous says:

    Good! Keep it off. I recently heard someone from the PTA say that the light bill was over one hundred thousand dollars per.month. If that is not ridiculous!

    • Anonymous says:

      yeah, that is what called state of the art… I thought it should have solar panels somethere..

  21. Anonymous says:

    Remind me, how much did this school cost? And it still does not work?

     

    Corruption and incompetance. Sad.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Come on Tyler hurry up and get that thing fixed will you!

     

  23. Dennis Smith says:

    My daughter is one of the students at CHHS. Windows can't be openned either. That's a brand new system, I sure hope its under warrenty.

  24. Cheese Face says:

    In other news, a cat crossed the street.

    • Anonymous says:

       

      not necessarily…this news  is about  more money from  CIG purse to do the repairs..No state of the art building including a/c system should breakdown in just a few months and require lengthy repairs. Did someone mentioned a leak from somewhere under the buidling?

  25. Really? says:

    I guess you dont have kids!

  26. Anonymous says:

    Should have paid th AC company even more to get a system that would run for a few months!!

  27. T. Switch says:

    Good. Now bring back the belt as well and they might actually start learning something.