Chief Medical Officer: Asbestos in buildings is dangerous if found in large quantities

If all requirements are not met when renovating a building with asbestos, the building cannot be inhabited, says the chief physician from Bispebjerg Hospital.

KNR has previously reported that mold and asbestos were found in the institution in Sisimiut during renovation work in January.

And the inmates have been experiencing health problems since January.

– Several of us here are getting headaches, coughing and feeling unwell – it’s really uncomfortable, said the spokesperson for the inmates.

The renovation work at the Sisimiut prison was carried out while the inmates were still living there. And according to the spokesperson, it has had a negative impact on their health.

But chief physician Harald Meyer from Bispebjerg Hospital emphasizes that it is possible to stay in a building with asbestos if all safety rules are followed.

He adds that it is a requirement that the area be cordoned off and that protective equipment be used to avoid people being exposed to asbestos dust during renovation work.

For example, the area to be renovated must be thoroughly shielded, and negative pressure must be established so that the dust cannot spread to the rest of the building.

– If you are unsure about it, the advice is that you are not in the building at the same time, says Harald Meyer.

To avoid people being exposed to asbestos dust during the renovation, it is a requirement that the area be shielded and that the work be carried out with the right protective equipment, he adds.

– You have to change your clothes inside the lock, so that you only have clean clothes when you go out into the area where other people walk. So it is important that it is completely dust-free outside the construction site if there is asbestos in the dust, he says.

According to the inmates, however, inspection work was carried out in the Sisimiut prison without protective equipment and without proper shielding.

Harald Meyer also emphasizes that when the work is completed, the building must be cleaned thoroughly and it must be checked that there are no traces of asbestos dust left.

– And then it is important afterwards that you do a super thorough cleaning and that you test afterwards that you have removed all the construction dust when you have finished renovating, says Harald Meyer.