The Health and Safety Authority is refusing to say whether any maintenance staff at Boffa Hospital were exposed to asbestos in the building's service ducts before access was barred earlier this year.

The authority was only informed of the presence of asbestos at the hospital last March, two months after the health secretariat was made aware of the danger by the hospital authorities.

The Sunday Times revealed last week that the service ducts below the main corridor and wards at Floriana's Boffa Hospital are contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos. OHSA Chief Executive Officer Mark Gauci confirmed that the authority was investigating the case alongside the Foundation for Medical Services, which is responsible for all public hospitals.

But Dr Gauci did not answer a specific question over whether any maintenance personnel had been allowed into the service ducts before January when access to the service tunnel was barred by the hospital authorities.

"In view of the fact that the investigation is ongoing, no further information can be provided," he said.

The Health Secretariat had also avoided responding to a similar question insisting that when the issue came to light in January access to the ducts had been barred and personnel were provided with adequate safety equipment.

Sources told The Sunday Times that experts commissioned by the hospital authorities to assess the ducts had warned that the building risked being closed down by the OHSA unless urgent action was taken.

The issue concerns the hot water service pipes, which were insulated with material that contains amosite asbestos. The pipes are not only leaking but the insulation material is in such a poor state that fibres have actually fallen on to the ground.

Amosite asbestos - widely used in the past for insulation purposes - is considered to be one of the most dangerous types of asbestos.

Dr Gauci said the authority was "initially contacted by the management of the hospital towards the beginning of March" regarding the possibility of the presence of asbestos in the lagging used around service ducts.

He added that information regarding the protective measures required to be taken in such situations was requested.

"On its part, OHSA provided information and guidance regarding safe procedures and the protective and preventive measures to be taken," Dr Gauci said.

He pointed out that the authority was working with the FMS to "investigate further the situation and to evaluate the steps to be taken from now on".

Yet, this newspaper has learnt that although the tests conducted by experts confirmed the fibre counts were below the legal limit, they had also warned that any maintenance activity would disturb the material, causing more fibres to become airborne, thereby exceeding the legal limit.

The experts said the asbestos-lagged pipes posed a serious health and safety threat and insisted that nobody should be allowed to enter the service ducts without adequate protective clothing and breathing apparatus.

According to the secretariat remedial work on the service ducts should start in the coming weeks after the FMS sought proposals from companies certified to work with asbestos.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com

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