A PLANT in North Lanarkshire which processes medical waste has been hit by a serious fire.

We previously reported that dark clouds of smoke billowed from the industrial unit at Mossbell Road, Bellshill, this morning.

No casualties have been reported at the site run by Tradebe Healthcare and people have been warned to avoid the area.

Glasgow Times:

Tradebe confirmed a fire broke out inside its facility at around 8am but said “it is too early to speculate as to the cause”.

READ MORE: Bellshill Industrial Estate fire: Photos from scene of blaze near Glasgow

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 is 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.

Glasgow Times:

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.”

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.

READ MORE: Photos show huge smoke billows coming from fire near Glasgow

“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.”

Glasgow Times:

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.”