Safe Asbestos Removal and Demolition at Cottage Linen Factory, Watford

The project at Cottage Linen Factory, 3 Rhodes Way, Watford, WD24 YW, was a joint venture between KCS Group and Universal Demolition. The site was previously utilised as an industrial laundry, providing major hotels in London with bed linen, clean towels, clean curtains and staff uniforms. It comprised a 2,600m² warehouse containing large industrial equipment capable of washing, drying and pressing.

Site Overview and Project Scope

The site comprised of a large laundry contained within a warehouse, a two-storey office block attached to the laundry and small storage portable buildings separated by a perimeter roadway for deliveries and collecting of clean linen.

Following a fire, the warehouse sustained significant damage. Our brief was to completely clear the site back to the floor slab, with the additional task of removing the slab as a variation, in readiness for future redevelopment.

Asbestos Discovery and Safe Removal

The warehouse was of steel frame construction, clad with asbestos roof sheets, with the perimeter walls formed by blocks at low level, external metal sheets above and insulation panels on the inside. The adjacent office block was a standard two-storey brick building.

Although limited asbestos information was initially available, asbestos roof sheets were identified in the warehouse, along with some asbestos within the office block. Both buildings were resurveyed to determine the full extent of asbestos, enabling the demolition contractor and KCS Group to develop a safe removal plan and site-specific risk assessment.

Asbestos cement debris was found around the perimeter of the warehouse, necessitating the installation of a secure compound around the entire site. Trained asbestos operatives from KCS Group conducted a thorough picking exercise to remove the asbestos debris.

Risk Mitigation and Execution

KCS Group and Universal Demolition collaborated to identify and mitigate the risks associated with the project. Key measures included:

Locating and capping drains.

Using appropriate machinery, such as excavators with hydraulic shears and rotor grabs, to dismantle structures safely.

Wrapping or bagging asbestos and loading it into enclosed, lockable skips.

Establishing exclusion zones for safe operation of machinery and asbestos removal.

Maintaining continuous dust suppression with mobile Motofog units.

Decontaminating and setting aside laundry equipment for scrapping or recycling.

Thoroughly cleaning and inspecting the ground before handing it over to the client.

Office Block Asbestos Removal

The R&D survey in the office block identified notifiable and non-licensable asbestos that required removal prior to demolition. All furniture and equipment were removed or disposed of.

To clear the office block of asbestos, it was necessary to erect enclosures for the notifiable works and establish exclusion zones for the non-notifiable works.

The office block was divided into smaller work enclosures and asbestos removal was carried out under fully controlled conditions. Upon completion, certificates for cleanliness and reoccupation were issued to the client before the demolition works commenced.