The public have been warned to stay away from a plant in North Lanarkshire which processes medical waste after it was hit by a serious fire this morning (Friday).
Huge billows of smoke could be seen from the industrial unit at Mossbell Road, Bellshill, on Friday morning and thick fumes were visible for miles, as previously reported.
No casualties have been reported at the site run by Tradebe Healthcare but people have been warned to avoid the area by emergency services.
Police Scotland have closed the area to both traffic and pedestrians.
The Scottish Enironmental Protection Agency have also confirmed within the last few months that their staff are also on site at Bellshill Industrial Estate to support colleagues in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland.
⚠️We are currently in attendance at a fire at an industrial unit on Mossbell Road, Bellshill. At this time there are no reported casualties. Please follow the guidance from @policescotland to avoid the area which is closed to traffic and pedestrians ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/4jxq8mgqU9
— Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (@fire_scot) July 9, 2021
Tradebe confirmed a fire broke out inside its facility at around 8am but said “it is too early to speculate as to the cause”.
The purpose-built site opened in December 2019 and can treat up to 80 tonnes of medical waste per day using “state of the art technology”, the firm has said.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene shortly after 8am and firefighters are currently using nine fire engines and two aerial rescue pumps to tackle the blaze.
Spanish-owned Tradebe Healthcare runs the £10 million per year contract to remove waste from hospitals, pharmacies, GP surgeries and dental practices across Scotland.
It picked up the 10-year contract after the collapse of Healthcare Environmental Services, which ceased trading in December 2018 after it became embroiled in a clinical waste pile-up controversy with the NHS.
Gordon Beattie, director of national procurement at NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), said: “NSS is aware of the fire at a facility operated by our clinical waste partner Tradebe.
“Tradebe have kept us fully informed and we are working in partnership to ensure that their alternative arrangements are in place to protect service.”
SEPA staff are on site at Bellshill Industrial Estate to support our colleagues in Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland. Please continue to follow @policescotland advice to avoid the area. https://t.co/tCpbQDtJDE
— Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) (@ScottishEPA) July 9, 2021
A fire service spokeswoman said: “We were alerted at 8.11am on Friday July 9 to reports of a building on fire at Mossbell Road, Bellshill.
“Operations control mobilised four appliances to the scene where a fire is affecting an industrial unit.
“Additional responses have been sent to the area and there are currently nine appliances and two aerial rescue pumps in attendance, and firefighters are continuing to tackle the fire.
“There are no reported casualties at this time.”
A Tradebe spokeswoman said: “An incident occurred today at approximately 8am on the Tradebe site at Bellshill when a fire broke out inside our facility.
“The fire brigade are in attendance and are working to bring the fire under control.
“All Tradebe colleagues were safely evacuated and everyone is accounted for.
“At this stage we are collating all the available information on the incident and it is too early to speculate as to the cause.”
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