Building Sites Thought to be Contaminated With Asbestos

3 Mar 2020

One of the latest Asbestos news stories in Ireland involves the Ballinclare Quarry in Wicklow. Testing at the Ballinclare Quarry last month revealed the presence of asbestos in rock from the quarry. While asbestos is generally thought of as a man-made problem, the substance itself is a naturally occurring mineral.

Material from the quarry had been supplied to several local construction sites before the problem was identified. Temporary covers were installed on all construction sites with material from the quarry until testing can be carried out. The company has put a program in place to test and remove any asbestos containing materials from the construction sites.

The company has appointed its own technical, safety, and health advisors to oversee the removal of these materials and make sure the work is independently verified. So far preliminary tests for airborne contaminants have come back negative.

The Health and Safety Authority says that it was notified that a thin vein of asbestos was disturbed during a blast at the quarry. Inspectors from the HSA visited the sites and concluded that they were properly contained and all risks to workers were being managed properly.

Seven sites were affected. Some of these are residential homes under construction, while others are larger projects. Remediation has begun on the sites and should be completed soon. The owner of the quarry has hired specialists to oversee the removal of asbestos from the sites, and samples have been sent to the UK for further testing.

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