East End residents are concerned about the handling of asbestos being removed from a BLDC building in St. David's.

And while health officials have said asbestos-laced panelling at the site was supposed to be kept wet and wrapped, dozens of sheets were left uncovered in the sun on Friday after workers left the site.

Some in the area are also complaining that not all the workers on the Ship's Wharf site have been wearing protective equipment, potentially exposing the workers to cancer-causing chemicals.

One person who lives in the area said: "There were two people wearing masks one day, but that was all the protective gear they had on. The next day, none of them were even wearing masks."

According to Senior Environmental Health Officer Roger Mello, asbestos removal at the site was approved, but since then the department had received repeated complaints from the public.

During a visit to the site on Friday afternoon, The Royal Gazette found dozens of sheets of transite panelling lying unattended in the sun. Each sheet of transite is made up of at least ten percent asbestos.

The only barrier set up was a single strip of red caution tape, just inches away from the panelling.

Asbestos was used frequently in construction because of its strength and resistance to fire and electrical and chemical damage.

However, its use was banned in much of the world after the inhalation of asbestos was linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer and several other health conditions.

To prevent inhalation, anyone handling asbestos should wear protective gear, including masks, and the materials should be kept wet to prevent the chemicals from becoming airborne.

Visiting the site, Mr. Mello said: "The idea is to keep it wet, take it down, and wrap it up. We were here early in the week to go over all of this.

"They should have had a barrier several feet out, and the material should at least be covered with a tarp.

"This is not just a mild infringement."

Asked what the next step would be, Mr. Mello said that health officials would return to the site today to make sure proper procedures are being carried out.

He added that every March the Department of Health hosts an asbestos abatement course, with workers needing to be recertified every two years.

By Friday evening, the loose panels had been covered with plastic, but at least one person who lives in the area said more still needed to be done.

"I don't want it covered, I want it out of here," she said. "There are people who work in that area, and at least one of them is already on a respirator."

Government officials were contacted in connection to this story, but were not able to respond by press time.

In another recent incident in St. David's, asbestos was discovered in an isolated area above the kitchen in Clearwater Middle School on Friday.

In response to the discovery, the Department of Education announced that air quality tests would be performed to ensure the student's safety before classes begin on September 8.