A North Kildare fire station currently relocated while asbestos tests take place - all fire stations in Co Kildare to be tested soon

North Kildare fire services are currently not operating from their usual base due to asbestos concerns with plans to get all stations in Co Kildare tested soon.

Fire-fighters at the station recently began voicing concerns that the asbestos on the roof could be producing dust.

Fire workers at Leixlip are now working from a command unit vehicle, in the grounds of the Fire Station and will not return to the official building, until given the go ahead by the Health and Safety Authority.

Ms Barrett said: “Given staff concerns, we took the appropriate emergency action.”

Ms Barrette wants the public to be fully aware that Leixlip Fire Services are still fully operational.

Leixlip Fire Station operating since the 1980s, is now a base for 10 retained fire-fighters.

Meanwhile, each fire officer based at Leixlip has been kitted out with new gear, at €1,000 each, as a response to the asbestos scare.

Tenders will be sought for asbestos testing at all stations in the county.

Asbestos

Asbestos  can be present today in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 and is  the name for a group of natural occurring mineral fibres which are strong and both heat and chemically resistant.  Due to these properties, asbestos was commonly used in the past as insulation and fire- proofing and was also used as a component in other building materials.

The risk associated with exposure to asbestos relates to the possibility that the fibres within the asbestos containing material (ACM) can become released into the air and are then inhaled. Breathing in air containing asbestos fibres can lead to asbestos-related diseases, mainly cancers of the chest and lungs.