Major Asbestos Removal Project Underway
The Hospital General de L'Hospitalet, managed by the Red Cross and part of the Consorci Sanitari Integral (CSI), is preparing to remove 47.39 tonnes of fibre cement containing asbestos from its roof. The full-scale operation will begin in two to three weeks and is expected to take approximately four months, weather permitting. Despite the scale of the intervention, hospital authorities and the contractor confirm the risk to patients, staff, and nearby residents is very low, and the facility will remain fully operational throughout. David Álvarez, director of infrastructure at the CSI, stated that public buildings in Catalonia must have asbestos removed by 2028 under regional regulations. However, due to the hospital’s age, now at 55 years, and the fact that fibre cement typically has a 50-year lifespan, the removal is being carried out proactively to prevent potential fibre release, which can pose serious health risks.
Contract and Safety Measures
The project has been awarded to Construo Construccions Generals Sl, the sole bidder in the public tender, following a contract adjudication recorded on 28 September 2026. The total investment stands at €1.83 million including VAT, fully financed by the CSI. According to the official contracting record on the Diputació de Barcelona’s CIDO portal (expedient CSI2025063), the initial tender was declared deserted before being reissued and ultimately awarded. To ensure safety, workers will use a sticky liquid to seal the asbestos panels before removal, preventing fibre release. Panels will be removed whole, wrapped in plastic on the fifth floor, and transported via an external scaffolding circuit to avoid contact with patients and staff. Air quality will be monitored daily using on-site pumps, with weekly atmospheric analyses to ensure levels remain below the European safety threshold of 10,000 fibres per cubic metre.
We are at the end of the fibre cement’s useful life. Since the sheets are intact, we don’t anticipate any issues,
said David Álvarez. Workers will be limited to four-hour shifts and must undergo full decontamination, including showers, after each shift.
Phased Work and Service Continuity
The fifth floor, directly beneath the roof, has already been cleared of staff changing rooms and maintenance areas, which have been relocated. Two patient care modules under the roof will be affected, but asbestos removal in those zones will be scheduled during the Christmas holidays when no treatments are planned. Office activities in annex buildings will also be relocated or shifted to remote work, with those removals beginning in 2027. Emergency access, evacuation routes, and essential hospital services will remain fully operational throughout the project. Once complete, the old roof will be replaced with insulated sandwich panels and new rainwater drainage systems made from safe plastic materials.
Longstanding Community Concerns
Residents in the Pubilla Cases neighbourhood have long raised concerns about asbestos at the hospital. This project addresses one aspect of a broader demand: for a new hospital in L'Hospitalet to serve the growing population, particularly in the Samontà area, where around 150,000 people currently rely on healthcare facilities outside the city, such as Hospital Moisès Broggi in Sant Joan Despí. Under current plans, once the new Campus Clínic in Can Rigalt becomes operational, L'Hospitalet residents will be transferred there for specialist care, while the Hospital General remains active with a redefined service scope. The Department of Health is expected to release further details on the transition in the coming months.
Primary sources: cido.diba.cat, catsalut.gencat.cat. Reported by lavanguardia.com, licitacionesaldia.es, El Periódico Barcelona.
