Asbestos Removal at Hereford County Hospital

Hereford Asbestos Services (HAS) are the principle asbestos removal contractors at the ongoing demolition and redevelopment of the current Hutted Wards based at Hereford County Hospital. HAS are in place to safely carry out asbestos removal and an environmental clean prior to the commencement of the demolition work.

These wards were originally built in the 1940’s and were used extensively during the Second World War.  They have continued to serve patients in the 70 years since. It is estimated that over one million people have been treated and cared for in the Hutted Wards since their construction in the 40’s.  The development of the new wards is expected for completion in 2020.

Asbestos was used frequently in construction during the 1940’s. It’s fantastic thermal and fire repellent properties made it valuable for a number of uses. These included fireproof spray coatings applied to walls, beams and ceilings. It was also used for insultation materials including loose fill insulation and lagging around boilers and pipes and asbestos insulation board (AIB) used in ceiling tiles, walls, fire doors and around boilers. Asbestos cement was also used in construction for items such as water tanks, roofing, side panels, gutters and soffits.

HAS’s role is to ensure that buildings are clean and safe for the demolition contractors and those in the surrounding buildings in the vicinity. HAS use several control measures during works such as this, including fully controlled enclosures which are smoke tested to ensure integrity. In addition to this, sporadic personal, leak and background air monitoring is also employed. Suppressant spray and shadow vacuuming are used as fibre suppressant measures and a decontamination unit is on site.

All work is undertaken in accordance the HSE’s (Health & Safety Executive) approved practices and methods for asbestos removal.

Link to Hereford Times story on the project here