Vertex was engaged to assist in the remediation of a sensitive site where uncontrolled removal of an asbestos insulating board ceiling had taken place during an asbestos cement roof replacement project.

All internal areas had been contaminated with visible debris and loose fibres, as had the entire external scaffolding which wrapped around all four sides of the building. Asbestos debris was also found across the car park to the front of the property and the allotments to the rear. The clearing of the car park was undertaken first to allow safe access to the site.

Vertex then partnered with a specialist licensed scaffolding company to install safety measures in the first instance as the contaminated scaffold had not been installed in line with regulations or best practice.

Once in place, the entire scaffold including poles, wooden planks and all connections was carefully dismantled and disposed of as hazardous waste. Constant perimeter air monitoring was conducted for the protection of surrounding properties and staff working elsewhere on the premises.

The internal spaces were then thoroughly cleaned under fully controlled conditions including the removal of internal scaffolding, carpets and other porous items, the cleaning of steel roof supports and the sealing up of wall voids to obtain a 4-stage clearance.

The HSE visited site during the works and were impressed with what they saw, as was the client’s representative who put a lot of faith in their asbestos consultant and Vertex to rectify a very difficult situation in a sensitive environment. The building was returned to normal use without incident or complaint from staff or nearby residents in a prompt manner after a month-long project which was both technically and politically challenging.

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