FOI – 000088 Asbestos in Public Body properties (HTML)

Date received – 12 April 2022 | Date responded – 03 May 2022

Request

I would like to know how many of the premises owned or used by the Health Board contain asbestos which has not yet been removed, and which they are. The information is needed to help assess how far there is still to go to achieve complete removal of asbestos from public buildings.

Q1. Please say (a) how many premises the Board owns or uses in total, (b) how many it is the asbestos Duty Holder for, (c) how many have been surveyed for asbestos, (d) the total where asbestos has been found and not yet been removed, (e) how many have an asbestos management plan, (f) the number of plans written or reviewed since 01/01/2019, and (g) how many with asbestos have public access? I have included a template table below, although I understand that you are not required to use it.

Q2. Please list premises owned or used that still have asbestos (I have included a second template table below, although I understand that you are not required to use it): a) premises name (and address/location if this will help it to be identified); b) what the premises is mainly used for (if not obvious from its name) e.g. hospital, clinic, administrative building, residential premises for staff; c) when an asbestos survey was last carried out for that premises; d) when an asbestos management plan was last carried out or reviewed for that premises; e) whether the premises is open to public access.

3. In the case of premises owned or used by the Board for which it is not the Duty Holder, please can you indicate the principal reason for that (e.g. owned by or let to another body).

4. If the Board is unable to provide any of this information, please say why.

Response

I refer to your freedom of information request that we received on 12 April 2022 requesting the following information.

I can advise you that we have now completed the search of our records and can provide you with the following information:

I would like to know how many of the premises owned or used by the Health Board contain asbestos which has not yet been removed, and which they are. The information is needed to help assess how far there is still to go to achieve complete removal of asbestos from public buildings.

Q1. (a) How many premises the Board owns or uses in total

19No. premises/ sites NSS owns or uses

(b) How many it is the asbestos Duty Holder for

19No. premises/ sites NSS owns or uses

(c) How many have been surveyed for asbestos

19No. have been surveyed via desktop to assess age of buildings then intrusive surveys were carried out on buildings that fell with the bracket of potentially being built with ACM (before 2000)

(d) The total where asbestos has been found and not yet been removed

9No. sites were found to contain ACM (buildings built pre 2000)

(e) How many have an asbestos management plan

NSS has a corporate management plan and premises plans for all nine sites. Our annual inspections are undertaken and completed by Santia.

(f) The number of plans written or reviewed since 01/01/2019

NSS has a corporate management plan and premises plans for all nine sites. Our annual inspections are undertaken and completed by Santia.

(g) How many with asbestos have public access? I have included a template table below; although I understand that you are not required to use it.

4No. Blood donor centres

**Q2. Please list premises owned or used that still have asbestos (I have included a second template table below, although I understand that you are not required to use it):

a) Premises name (and address/location if this will help it to be identified)**

1. SNBTS, Aberdeen, Foresterhill Rd, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZW on the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary site.
2. SNBTS, Dundee, Level 6 & Level 8, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD2 1UB
3. SNBTS, Lauriston Building, 41 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9HB.
4. SNBTS, Inverness, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness IV2 3UJ.
5. SNBTS Glasgow Donor Centre, The Athenaeum, 8 Nelson Mandela Pl, Glasgow G2 1BT
6. NHS/NSS, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow G2 6QE.
7. NHS/NSS, 3 Bain Sq, Livingston. EH54 7DQ
8. NHS/ NSS Broxburn Unit 5, Kirkhill Business Centre, Park Court, Broxburn, EH52 6EE
9. NHS/ NSS No.10 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh

b) What the premises is mainly used for (if not obvious from its name) e.g. hospital, clinic, administrative building, residential premises for staff

1. SNBTS, Aberdeen, Foresterhill Rd, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZW on the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary site. Blood Donor, Lab, offices
2. SNBTS, Dundee, Level 6 & Level 8, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD2 1UB Blood Donor, Lab, offices
3. SNBTS, Lauriston Building, 41 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9HB. Blood Donor, Lab, offices
4. SNBTS, Inverness, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness IV2 3UJ. Blood Donor, Lab, offices
5. SNBTS Glasgow Donor Centre, The Athenaeum, 8 Nelson Mandela Pl, Glasgow G2 1BT Blood Donor, Lab, offices
6. NHS/NSS, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow G2 6QE. Offices
7. NHS/NSS, 3 Bain Sq, Livingston. EH54 7DQ. Offices
8. NHS/ NSS Broxburn Unit 5, Kirkhill Business Centre, Park Court, Broxburn, EH52 6EE. Lab
9. NHS/ NSS No.10 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh. Storage Unit and car park

c) When an asbestos survey was last carried out for that premises

February/March 2022

d) When an asbestos management plan was last carried out or reviewed for that premises

NSS hold regularly quarterly meetings as an NSS Asbestos Safety Group where we review the policy and procedures

e) Whether the premises is open to public access.

As per Q1 (g) (4No. Blood donor centres)

3. In the case of premises owned or used by the Board for which it is not the Duty Holder, please can you indicate the principal reason for that (e.g. owned by or let to another body).

1. SNBTS, Dundee, Level 6 & Level 8, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD2 1UB
2. SNBTS, Lauriston Building, 41 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9HB.
3. SNBTS, Inverness, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness IV2 3UJ.
4. SNBTS Glasgow Donor Centre, the Athenaeum, 8 Nelson Mandela Pl, Glasgow G2 1BT

All sites are under an SLA and lease agreement with either another Health Board or Landlord. However, we are accountable under our NSS Compliance Duty Holder Matrix to those sites and they are NSS demise and space so we ensure they are managed under the asbestos premise plan.

4. If the Board is unable to provide any of this information, please say why.

N/A, all information has been provided.

I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request. Please get in touch with us using the following contact details within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence:

Email: nss.foi@nhs.scot

If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their online application form.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us at the above address.