WeWork closes booths after the discovery of a carcinogenic chemical

   , said Monday night the closure of 2,300 phone booths in Canada and the United States, after the discovery of a chemical potentially carcinogenic.

In an email sent to its tenants, the company says it was alerted by one of them, a victim of eye irritation. After a closer look at different booths and high levels of formaldehyde, WeWork has finally decided to close 1,600 of them on 223 North American sites, and another 700 pending the outcome of new tests.

"The safety and well-being of our members is our top priority and we are working to remedy this situation as quickly as possible," WeWork said in a statement to Reuters. Since 1987, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) classifies formaldehyde as a probable carcinogen in case of strong or prolonged exposure.

Public health problem

The closing of the cabins, which members use to make their private calls, was therefore a public health issue for WeWork. Their replacement and the probable depollution of a part of some sites nevertheless arrive at the worst time for the company.

The New York-based firm is struggling with cash flow, according to several US analysts, and may be running out of cash before the end of the year. After stopping its net opening policy, it should also proceed in the coming weeks to the
removal of 500 posts

   to reduce its costs, according to the US site "
The Information

   ".

With the flop of the IPO – which was to bring him $ 3 billion plus US $ 8 billion in loans secured by US banks – WeWork is forced to turn to private financing to survive. In an article published Sunday, the "Wall Street Journal" indicates that the salvation
could finally come from the Japanese conglomerate Softbank

   , ready to inject several billion dollars to become the majority shareholder of WeWork.