Locals are being told to remain indoors as Tayside health chiefs confirmed the presence of asbestos at a building gutted by a huge blaze in Dundee at the weekend.
Police and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have launched an investigation into the blaze, which sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky above the city.
On Tuesday afternoon, NHS Tayside said it has “established the presence of white asbestos from the building’s roof”.
The health board added that the risk to the pubic from the material having caught fire is “negligible” and the ongoing risk to the community is “extremely low”.
However NHS Tayside said people with locals, especially those with long-term health or respiratory conditions, should stay indoors and keep their windows closed until the smoke fully clears.
Smoke was still rising from the ruins of the building on Tuesday morning, and firefighters remain at the scene.
A statement from NHS Tayside reads: “Authorities in Dundee, including emergency services, Dundee City Council and NHS Tayside’s public health team, have been working closely together following Sunday night’s major fire at storage premises in Dundee.
“An investigation into the cause of the blaze, at a building within the Baldovie Industrial Estate, is continuing.
“Tests have also now established the presence of white asbestos from the building’s roof. White asbestos is the most commonly used kind and is often found in roofs and ceilings.
“The public should be reassured that advice from NHS Tayside’s public health team is that on the basis of international evidence, the risk to human health from large fires involving asbestos is negligible.
“The ongoing risk to the health of the local population and those who were in the vicinity at the time of this fire is extremely low.”
However the statement adds: “As smoke from fires can irritate the airways, the advice remains that local residents, particularly those with long term health issues or respiratory conditions should stay indoors and keep windows closed until the smoke plume has passed.
Update on the fire at Baldovie Industrial Estate in Dundee including health advice and information for the local population https://t.co/hrbcYeV8cE
— NHS Tayside (@NHSTayside) June 9, 2020
“If local residents find any debris or material from the fire in their garden or near their property, as a precaution, the advice is not to touch it and to contact Dundee City Council’s Environmental Health team on 01382 433710 for advice.
“Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the incident, Drumgeith Road remains closed to through traffic and there are further restrictions on Forties Road.
“The household waste recycling centre at Baldovie remains closed to the public today.”
