Provision of turnkey asbestos services for one of the UK’s largest NHS health boards.

Covering the whole of North Wales, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) is one of the largest NHS organisations in the UK.

Our team was originally called out in 2010 to manage a major asbestos incident at the Trust’s Glan Clywd Hospital near Rhyl. Following a ceiling collapse which exposed severely damaged asbestos containing materials (ACMs), we helped evacuate patients and supervise the remediation of contaminated areas in the first phase of our work with the Board. We also assisted in incident investigation and reviewed their Duty to Manage policy, in liaison with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Enforcement action by the HSE meant BCUHB was required to strip the building of all known and accessible ACMs. We were awarded the five year contract to provide consultancy, on-site analytical support, monitoring, project management, client representation and work programming throughout the redevelopment of Glan Clywd Hospital.

We established a regional team dedicated to this contract, with up to ten colleagues based in a UKAS-accredited on-site cabin. As well as representing the Board to enforcing authorities, our project manager helped prepare media communications and worked closely with the Board’s Asbestos Coordinator and Director of Estates.

Clear advice and decisive action were hallmarks of our approach to this contract, particularly under the intense spotlight of HSE scrutiny. Professional and discreet at all times, our team worked with various stakeholders on programming works to ensure the smooth maintenance of hospital operations and maintain technical excellence.

Our work with BCUHB extended to cover services for their East (Wrexham) and West (Gwynedd) regions. This included training for relevant staff and implementation of a Board-wide asbestos management plan.