Asbestos probe at Kerry General hospital

An investigation into whether asbestos was used in the construction of the acute psychiatric unit at Kerry General Hospital has been requested by a nurses’ association.

A ward and the admissions area are currently being prepared for a revamp. Further areas are set for renovation in the new year at a total cost of around €800,000.

However at a meeting last week with directors of nursing, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) raised concerns that asbestos may have been used in the original building of the unit in the 1980s and said they were informing the Health and Safety Authority. A PNA spokesman in Kerry, Cormac Williams, said the union had informed the HSA because the presence of asbestos was “such an important issue” for staff and for patients and the planned works could not but have an effect on other wards in terms of dust emissions.

He said he was asking that when the Health and Safety Authority and HSE testing has been completed, the results would be communicated to the staff and unions, “and in the event of asbestos being found, a written memo on the levels and extent of any asbestos found, the removal process and levels of risk to staff and service users on the unit would be drawn up and published by the HSE”.

“It is my understanding that where asbestos is found the risk increases greatly when the asbestos is disturbed and if it becomes airborne in dust particles,” said Mr Williams.

The PNA believes asbestos may have been used in the floors of the acute psychiatric unit, The admission unit is currently being prepared for major renovations, with €350,000 being allocated to renovate Valentia ward. Work is expected to start this week and is expected to take eight weeks.

A similar sum of money is expected to be released early in 2016 to upgrade Reask ward and to cover the walls of the seclusion room in the High Observation Area with a specialised rubber type membrane to prevent injury to service users.