Waterford Council gives public advice on asbestos danger in wake of Tycor fire
The clean up begins at the surrounding area of the Jute Factory. Photo: Joe Evans
Waterford City & County Council is working closely with the Department of Public Health to manage the incident involving a fire at Tycor Business Centre, in the city at the weekend.
A spokesperson for the local authority, in a statement to Waterford News & Star, said the Council has received public health advice from HSE Dublin and South East.
Significantly, environmental sampling identified asbestos-containing material in some of the debris related to the incident.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre that was used extensively for building insulation prior to the 1990s, however, it is now known that exposure to it can have health implications. As such, asbestos is no longer used, however, asbestos can remain in older buildings.
The local authority spokesperson said asbestos-containing materials do not cause health problems, unless they are disturbed and the asbestos fibres are released into the air.
"This can happen during building renovations, during DIY, or after a fire," said the spokesperson.
"Breathing in asbestos fibres can increase the risk of serious health effects usually associated with repeated or higher levels of exposure," she added, before commenting: "For this reason, people should avoid touching, sweeping, vacuuming, power-washing, or otherwise disturbing dust, ash, debris, or suspected asbestos-containing material."
Air monitoring for asbestos has been in place since the blaze occurred and to-date no elevated levels of asbestos have been detected in air sampling.
However, in order to reduce the chances of exposure to asbestos, the HSE said it's important that any dust or debris that may contain asbestos fibres is not disturbed and released into the air.
The advice remains for those living within the immediate vicinity of the site: Do not bring debris, dust or ash into your home on footwear or clothing; Remove and clean footwear before entering the house, where possible; Wash hands thoroughly after any outdoor activities; Do not sweep or brush dust - iff you do need to remove dust, you can gently wet wipe the dust to avoid dispersing the material into the air; Do not move or remove debris; Do not vacuum or power hose; Do not vigorously clean surfaces that may be contaminated; Do not cut or mow grass.
Also, if anyone who has symptoms or is concerned about their health, is advised to make contact with their GP.
To view HSE FAQs about what to do go to https://bit.ly/HSE-Advice-TycorFire or call Waterford City and County Council Customer Services on 0818 102020.
