Asbestos has been detected in the south building of Langley Memorial Hospital.
“Asbestos has been discovered in the ceiling of that building only. There has been air quality testing done and there is no risk to staff and visitors,” said Fraser Health spokesperson, Nafisa Abdulla.
Asbestos was a common building material used until the early 1990s, when it was confirmed that it is carcinogenic and the fibres can get trapped in the lungs, leading to lung cancer later in life.
As long as asbestos is not disturbed, it doesn’t pose a health threat.
LMH was built in the 1950s, so asbestos would be in parts of the hospital. Many hospitals have asbestos, said Abdulla.
“We have an asbestos management program. That’s how the asbestos was found at Langley,” she said.
There is a long-term plan in place to deal with asbestos, she added.
Now that the asbestos has been discovered, Fraser Health is looking to hire the right contractor to contain and remove the asbestos. There is no time line to when that work will begin, she said.