By Lucy Ashton
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has urged the Scottish Government to compile a complete list of buildings where the dangerous bubbly concrete known as RAAC is present, as a minister conceded that the presence of the material could present safety implications for firefighters responding to incidents.
In response to a parliamentary question from Mr Cole-Hamilton, community safety minister Siobhan Brown admitting that “Where the material is in poor condition there could be greater risk of weakness or collapse”.
Incongruously, one of the two public buildings in locally which have been identified as having the dangerous concrete used in their structure are Helensburgh Fire Station in South King Street and the John Logie Baird Primary School in the Drumfork housing estate, which has been closed.
The Scottish Government intends to leave the dangerous concrete in place in 35 NHS buildings and that it has no deadline or target for removing RAAC in NHS buildings. This contrasts with the situation in England, which currently has a target to eradicate the dangerous building material from the NHS estate by 2035.
Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “This dangerous concrete is an additional hazard that firefighters will have to consider when responding to an incident.
“The minister admits that this material raises the risk of collapse so why is her government not pressing ahead with a full national register of buildings where this material is in place?
Alex Cole Hamilton, Scottish LibDem leader, and Siobhan Brown, SNP MInister.
“Ministers need to get their heads out of the clouds and finally establish a fund that NHS boards and local authorities can tap into, allowing them to carry out the necessary works to get rid of this dodgy concrete for good.
“They also need to ensure that private property owners are investigating whether this material is present and ensuring that there is an up-to-date register of its location and its condition. It is not good enough to leave this to an already overstretched fire service.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton’s parliamentary questions are as follows:
Alex Cole-Hamilton: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in a building has any safety implications during an incident where firefighters are required to attend.
Siobhan Brown: The recent concerns noted around Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) are acknowledged by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and partner agencies. Where the material is in poor condition, has degraded or has been incorrectly installed, there could be a greater risk of weakness or collapse which could present additional safety implications. Where RAAC is identified through SFRS Operational Intelligence information gathering or a Fire Safety Enforcement audit, SFRS staff will record information regarding any affected buildings. This allows SFRS to develop a tactical plan to protect firefighters and minimise risk to the wider public in the event of any emergency incident. The safety of fire fighters is paramount and during an incident SFRS will undertake a dynamic risk assessment where necessary to take into account all potential risks, including the presence of RAAC.
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) carried out any research into and (b) undertaken any other work exploring any impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels and beams.
Siobhan Brown: The Scottish Government has not carried out or commissioned research into the impact that the presence of fire can have on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However, the Scottish Government works directly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), is in close contact with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and officials liaise with UK Government colleagues as the issue around fire safety and RAAC is explored.
The condition of RAAC and any risk of weakness or collapse is clearly of critical concern to firefighters. Where RAAC is identified through SFRS Operational Intelligence information gathering or a Fire Safety Enforcement audit, SFRS staff will record information regarding any affected buildings. This allows SFRS to develop a tactical plan to protect firefighters and minimise risk to the wider public in the event of any emergency incident, including those with premises containing RAAC.
More generally, the Scottish Government engages with various academic and building industry organisations which are themselves involved in research work, including through meetings of the Cross Sector Working Group, and would promote awareness of the findings of RAAC related research as and when appropriate.