Housing bosses apologise over asbestos fears

Row over safety after bags spotted by residents

HOUSING bosses have apologised for causing “alarm” to residents over asbestos removal – but insist work to shift the substance from properties is being done safely.

Residents in Toryglen companied over a significant period to Thistle Housing Association about asbestos in the attic spaces of their flats.

However, Thistle repeatedly denied the existence of the hazardous material... until Sanctuary Scotland took over the running of properties and pledged to resolve the issue.

Work began last week to remove asbestos from flats at Kerrycroy Avenue.

But a row over safety has broken out after locals spotted bags of waste removed from the attics left unattended in closes.

With residents’ trust in Thistle HA at rock bottom after years of mismanagement and building problems, it was assumed this was another error on the part of the social landlord.

A photograph taken by a homeowner shows plastic bags of material piled up on a landing during the asbestos removal process.

Thistle Housing Association, which transfers formally to Sanctuary on March 1, strongly denied claims of wrongdoing.

A spokesman said: “The bags shown in the photograph are not red in colour and therefore did not contain any asbestos.

“We can confirm these bags contained only fibreglass insulation, a material that poses no health risk.

“We apologise sincerely for any alarm this has caused.

“We understand the resident’s concerns and appreciate him bringing them to our attention.

“Our licensed contractor has been instructed to accompany all bags from the building at all times in future so this doesn’t happen again.”

A housing source said the work being carried out at Kerrycroy Avenue is a removal task where asbestos-containing materials are in decent condition and not being broken up.

Asbestos fibres are contained within another material and the work is classed by the Health and Safety Executive as “low risk”.

They added that bags shown in residents’ photographs contains non-hazardous fibreglass insulation and not asbestos, which would be held in red-coloured bags.

Thistle is now years overdue on completing upgrade works to homes in Toryglen.

The Scottish Housing Regulator was forced to step in following a lengthy raft of issues, including financial mismanagement and serious health and safety breaches, that could not be resolved.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “They can hardly blame us for being alarmed after everything that has happened here over the years.

“We have no faith at all in Thistle to get anything right when it comes to the safety of the residents and the upkeep of our homes.

“They will have to work hard to regain trust – though I doubt they will ever manage to win us back over.”