They continued to work in the building after samples of dust and debris were collected in one of the vehicle bays but were relocated as soon as test results were received about 11 days later. It is understood that asbestos was found in nearly all of more than a dozen samples tested.
Access to the fire station has been closed off pending further specialist investigations, but the airport has continued to operate normally, with Airport Fire and Rescue Service staff relocated to nearby Ayline House.
The States said the evacuation was ‘a precautionary action taken promptly’ and that the wellbeing of staff was its ‘highest priority’. But the firefighters’ union, Unite, said its members had been kept largely in the dark about the risks to their safety and the authorities’ response to the problem.
‘Our members at Alderney Airport Fire Station have reported that, to date, they have received no clear guidance on the situation, what support will be made available to them or what actions are being taken to resolve the issues identified,’ said Unite regional officer Laura Bichard.
‘This lack of clarity is understandably concerning, and it is essential that our members are kept fully informed and provided with appropriate support and reassurance regarding their safety and wellbeing.
‘Staff are worried about potential exposure over a period of time and about what they might have taken home to their families.’
Ms Bichard has been pressing for a meeting with Guernsey airport director Richard Thomasson, and was hopeful that discussions would take place today, although she was still awaiting confirmation yesterday afternoon.
‘In the meantime, I will continue to press for clear answers, appropriate assurances and meaningful support for our members, alongside a clear plan of action to address the issues and ensure the safety of both the workforce and the wider community,’ she said.
Asbestos was widely used in construction until it was banned in 1999. It poses no immediate risk if stable but becomes highly dangerous when damaged or disturbed, and inhalation of fibres can lead to fatal diseases, such as mesothelioma. In 2019, the States agreed to set up a compensation scheme for victims of mesothelioma.
Asbestos was known to be present in the fire station at Alderney Airport but was previously thought to be in a stable condition.
Questions put yesterday to Deputy Mark Helyar, the president of the States Trading Supervisory Board, which is responsible for Alderney Airport, were answered promptly by a spokesman for Guernsey Ports, a division of the STSB.
‘The building, along with other airport facilities, is subject to routine annual inspections by an asbestos specialist contractor, with the most recent inspection taking place last month, when the visual survey did not identify any action required,’ he said.
‘Following subsequent identification of dust and debris within one of the vehicle bays, Guernsey Ports commissioned additional specialist testing.
‘Samples were taken from this area on 24 September and the results were received on 5 October. These showed the presence of asbestos in the samples and, as a precautionary action, staff were relocated that day. They will remain at Ayline House while further investigations are undertaken.’
He said the current round of investigations would establish the precise safety risks of the building and determine whether remediation works were necessary.
Additional safety rules have also been temporarily introduced on the use of equipment and materials associated with the fire station building. It is understood that these include preventing firefighters from returning home with any of their work kit.
The redevelopment of Alderney Airport has been agreed and stalled numerous times in recent years. A scheme which included constructing a new fire station was dropped when estimated costs spiralled from £24m. to £37m.
Earlier this year, the States delegated authority to the Policy & Resources Committee to sign off a scaled-back project not exceeding £24m.
The Ports spokesman said that ‘the potential replacement of the fire station’ remained within the portfolio of major capital projects on which the States hopes to make progress in the current term.