The wing of Nijenborgh 4 that was evacuated last week has been partially reopened. The areas of building 5113 where asbestos fibres were found around the radiator last week remain closed, however.
The board of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) updated its employees about this in an email on Friday evening.
Building 5113 was evacuated on Friday, October 20, after a broken asbestos seal was found near a radiator. An investigation in the entire wing turned up broken seals in twelve rooms in total. Extra readings were taken last week to determine whether the asbestos had spread further through the spaces.
Safe
It turns out the asbestos was only found around the radiator and not in the air or on other surfaces. The rooms will remain closed until they have been decontaminated. Elsewhere in the building, protective foil and warning stickers have been applied to the asbestos seals around the radiators.
The board expressed confidence that the building, except for the twelve closed rooms, is safe to use. If individuals still do not want to return to their workplaces, they can inform their supervisor and the board’s secretariat, and suitable alternatives will be sought.
Investigation in the basement
During an information session for employees working in building 5113 on Friday afternoon, several people expressed concerns about the possible presence of asbestos in the basement. The Real Estate department will conduct additional investigations there. The results will be available in a week; until then, people are allowed to use the basement as usual.
According to the board, there was some miscommunication during the meeting regarding the asbestos seals in the rest of Nijenborgh 4. It is now clear that this specific construction around the radiators was only used in building 5113. The constructions in other parts of Nijenborgh are less vulnerable.
The faculty board will assess where and how asbestos has been used in the entire Nijenborgh building. Real Estate and FSE are also collaborating to determine how the asbestos seals were damaged and how such incidents can be prevented in the future.