Deadly asbestos has been rendered harmless in several former Masterton Hospital buildings now awaiting disposal, says Peter Clayton, Wairarapa Hospital property services manager. Mr Clayton said a programme of removal and encapsulation of asbestos was begun more than a decade ago throughout the entire former hospital and that the material stillin use was made safe according to stringent health and safety regulations. All forms of asbestos have been found to cause lung disease including asbestosis that may lead to heart failure or death, tumours and lung cancer. Several forms of asbestos were discovered at the former hospital under floors, in roofing and walls, and as pipe insulation in many of the older buildings, he said. There was a greater concentration of asbestos found in the old Ward 10 and Ward 6 buildings, Mr Clayton said, although there was also material found in the three-storey block, the kitchen and dining room, the Selina Sutherland building, the laundry, boiler house, accommodation buildings, the mental and community health buildings, the mortuary, radiology, and in underground service structures and tunnels. "What asbestos is left in the older buildings ? and there's not much ? is encapsulated, which is a wrapping or coating of the material that makes it safe." He said there were still several places on the older buildings where asbestos warnings were kept after the earlier programme "just to scare people away" from illegal entry. "When asbestos is cut or abraded and there are particles and dust ? this is the main danger. Registered specialist companies are contracted for the safe removal and encapsulation of asbestos and it's a very expensive exercise." Mr Clayton said the remaining asbestos would only become an issue again should there be demolition of the buildings although "there are no plans to demolish". "A purchaser may have different ideas, but it was decided the buildings are in quite good condition and there was no need to demolish what is perfectly safe."
