Asbestos: it's even in our hospitals
Hospitals are somewhere you go to get treatment for illnesses or injuries, but did you know that many hospitals in New Zealand and throughout the world have something that could make you sick?
Asbestos is a mineral that, for many years up until the late 1980s, was used in building materials and other products globally. Given its strength, heat and fire-resistance, and affordability, millions of tons of it were used in all manner of products. The most common were building materials, but it was also present in art supplies, makeup, clothing, children’s toys, Christmas decorations, and more.
If you can find it in an average residential home, school, or office block, then you can nearly guarantee it will also be in a hospital built or renovated before the 1990s.
Where is asbestos present in hospitals?
Hospitals in New Zealand and throughout the world tend to have asbestos as a form of insulation, on pipe lagging and boilers, and in wall coverings and on roofs. It’s also present in some fire doors, pipes, tanks, and steelwork.
It’s important to know that not every hospital is going to have asbestos. And, not every hospital with asbestos is putting its patients at risk. District Health Boards throughout the country carry out routine inspections to identify any potential hazards and put plans in place with experts to rectify them.
NZ cases of asbestos in hospitals
When millions of tons of asbestos are used in the construction of goods and building materials, it’s not uncommon to come across cases of asbestos in hospitals. Sometimes there is a good outcome once it’s identified, and sometimes there isn’t.
In December 2018, a routine inspection by the Southern District Health Board found asbestos in three roof areas of Dunstan Hospital in Central Otago. External consultants were brought in to carry out a survey, and upgrades were made.
In 2005, asbestos was removed from the roof space during its rebuild, but not all of it was. When asbestos is undisturbed and in good condition, the best approach can be to contain it in the roof space.
Central Otago tradespeople attended an education session with the Southern District Health Board, and a policy was enacted for tradespeople and staff safety. The entire process for its removal and protection went off without a hitch.
A similar process was underway in two Auckland hospitals in 2004, as well. According to the NZ Herald, brown asbestos was found on ceiling tiles within the old Auckland Hospital’s roof cavities. This type of asbestos is commonly responsible for lung cancer. The hospital was soon going to house admin teams and post-birth mothers and children.
Asbestos was also found at the Green Lane Hospital, which was being renovated for outpatient clinics and day surgery. The mineral was removed from both buildings in the 1980s and 1990s, but some had been left behind. According to the hospital manager at the time, Nigel Murray, dust was being cleaned out to avoid the risk of airborne contamination.
Once again, experts weighed up the risks and rewards of removal or protection of asbestos. In some areas, they chose to spray a special polymer onto the asbestos to encapsulate it and stop it from becoming a danger. The estimated cost of making both buildings safe was thought to cost up to $10 million.
In December 2017, Dr. Pauline Vizzard died from asbestos exposure at a hospital in the New South Wales Hunter region. Pauline felt pain in her shoulder and assumed it was a pulled muscle. Instead, it was mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer in her organ lining that had a 100 per cent fatality rate.
Pauline and her family were shocked about the diagnosis, believing it’s more common in people who work in industrial lines. However, she is thought to have been exposed to asbestos fibres during ward rounds at a public hospital in the 1970s and 1980s. Deteriorated lagging around steam and hot water pipes had caused dust and particles to fall onto ceiling tiles. This dust then dropped into hallways during frequent maintenance.
Appropriate measures to take
If you believe your local hospital or healthcare centre could contain asbestos, then it’s crucial to act. Steps must be taken by trained and certified professionals to rectify the problem.
Every hospital should have an up-to-date asbestos survey to identify the risk, the condition of the asbestos, and where it is. A management plan must also exist to show what will be done about it, who will carry out the job, and where it exists.
Given that hospitals are live, working environments, it can take the most skilled team of asbestos removal specialists to carry out asbestos removal or inspections. Get in touch with asbestos experts in New Zealand today to find out what they recommend as your next course of action.