Despite almost £400,000 being allocated to the Western Health and Social Services Trust to resolve asbestos problems at hospitals and ancillary buildings in Omagh, it has been claimed this month that little has been done to eradicate the dangerous fibres. A concerned member of the public contacted the Tyronne Herald, who claimed that the Trust had neglected to tell staff at the facilities that they were at times working in close proximity to asbestos. This claim is strenuously denied by the Trust. It has been suggested that at one of the last meetings of the Trust in January 2007, board members were advised to comply with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 2003/33, which has now been replaced by the Control of Asbestos Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 2007/31, in order to "ensure the health and safety of all staff, patients and visitors." However, since this was only recently agreed, it opens the question of why there was no prior plan in force.
It is estimated that there are some five and a half million buildings in the UK containing asbestos. When asbestos material in buildings starts to degrade or is disturbed it can become highly dangerous. A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Services Trust said that a number of their facilities are known to contain asbestos materials, and where this is the case they have endeavoured to manage the material to minimise any potential risks. "In the majority of cases, the Trust have engaged the services of licensed asbestos removal firms and a number of asbestos surveys have been carried out, in particular in areas where refurbishment is planned. Managing risks associated with asbestos has been an ongoing activity for the Trust, and this will continue for the foreseeable future."
