June 2011 Asbestos Industry News

16 / 06 / 2011

Former Fork-lift Truck Driver Dies from Asbestos Exposure

Eric Rothery, 81, of Liversedge used to be a driver and fork-lift truck driver at the former BBA factory in Cleckheaton, but was not aware that during his working life he had been exposed to asbestos.

In November 2010 Mr Rothery had a CT scan carried out which found asbestos scarring on his lungs, from which he later developed acute airways disease and pneumonia. His cause of death was listed as heart failure and heart disease, and during the inquest in to his death the Coroner recorded a verdict of "Death by Industrial Disease" stating "I am satisfied that as a driver required to collect from the former BBA factory and working as a fork-lift truck driver that he was exposed to asbestos in the work place."

Paisley Blaze Led to Asbestos Scare

Youths have been blamed for the start of a blaze at the former Milk Marketing Board offices in Paisley which led to an asbestos scare after fire officers spotted asbestos sheeting inside the burning building.

Fire crews alerted Renfrewshire Council's building control officers regarding the discovery of the asbestos sheeting and spent hours at the scene stopping the deadly asbestos dust being blown around, by dampening the sheeting.

A police spokesperson said: "After the fire crew arrived, they spotted the asbestos sheeting and had to keep spraying it with water. Their task was to make sure the asbestos didn't break up and cause harm to others."

More than 20 fire-fighters attended the scene.

Deteriorating School Building Does Contain Asbestos, but is Safe

Stockton Council's Education officials have confirmed that the deteriorating three-storey block at Ian Ramsey Church of England School does contain asbestos but that the substance is managed.

The Education officials have assured all parents that pupils are safe to be taught in the building, but only until repair work starts this autumn when the asbestos will be managed safely during the building works.

The HSE commented that pupils and teachers at Ian Ramsey C of E school are highly unlikely to be at risk as long as the asbestos is managed safely.

Derby Contractor falsely claimed he was Qualified to Remove Asbestos

Five people were exposed to deadly dust from asbestos after Derby contractor, Wayne Priestley, hired a team to remove asbestos from a derelict building even though he had not provided them with adequate training or protection.

Quarnmill Construction Ltd employed Mr Priestley to remove the asbestos containing materials from a building in Webster Street, Derby in October 2009, after Mr Priestley had assured Quarnmill Construction the removal works were within his capabilities. Quarnmill provided Mr Priestley with an asbestos survey which detailed where the removal works were required but failed to check his suitability to carry out the work or check for his asbestos removal licence, which is required by law.

Mr Priestley claimed he had not purposely misled Quarnmill Construction but did plead guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

White Asbestos - Still as Serious as ever!

The status of white (chrysotile) asbestos has been reaffirmed as a Class 1 Carcinogenic Substance by Sir John Beddington, the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor.

Iain Duncan Smith, Works and Pensions Secretary, approached Sir John Beddington in November last year to consider whether any evidence exists that would "justify an imminent change to the international scientific consensus on the classification of asbestos and so allow ministers to reconsider UK legislation." In March this year, after a meeting of experts which was chaired by Sir John and included representatives from the Health and Safety Executive, Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an agreement was made that as there is such uncertainty in regards to Chrysotile in the causation of mesothelioma, particularly in low levels of exposure, there is no reason found to reduce the seriousness of white asbestos from Class 1.

The experts concurred that the "evidence suggests that the relative risk of getting lung cancer from chrysotile exposure compared to amphibole forms of asbestos (such as brown or blue) is within one order of magnitude, when compared at the same exposure levels. The relative risk of getting mesothelioma from chrysotile exposure compared to amphibole is within two orders of magnitude, when compared at the same exposure levels."

Although the experts concluded that chrysotile breaks down in the lung more quickly than amphibole forms of asbestos, they also asserted that chrysotile's toxicological action is unclear, and pointed to uncertainty about whether the carcinogenicity of asbestos fibres is linked to how long they remain in the lung, or to cumulative exposure over time.

Electrician sues for £100,000 after being exposed to Asbestos

A legal battle has been launched by an Electrician from Oldham against his former bosses, for £100,000 compensation and is seeking the right to return to court for more compensation in the future.

Mr Eccles, 56, already has thickening of the lung membrane after being exposed to asbestos dust and fibres when he worked for the Co-operative Group and hints that he could develop lung cancer or other asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma.

Over 200 Western Education and Library Board schools contain asbestos

Two hundred and twelve schools in the Western Education and Library Board (WELB) currently contain asbestos.

In a statement last month WELB confirmed 170 primary schools, 30 post-primary schools, seven nursery schools and five special schools contain the potentially cancer-inducing fibre.

WELB estimates removing the asbestos from all the schools would cost £480k.

Priest warns of hidden asbestos

Canon Alan Hughes, a priest in Northumberland, discovered asbestos in his church, Holy Trin­ity and St Mary's, Berwick-upon-Tweed, during restoration of its pipe organ. He is now warning the clergy to be mindful of hidden as­bestos in their buildings

The £160,000 restoration project of the church's pipe organ had to be put on hold until the removal of the asbestos had been complete. Unfortunately for the church, asbestos removal was not covered by their insurers and cost an extra £7000 on top of the organ restoration costs.

Two Builders Fined over Asbestos Contamination

The bathroom renovation at a sheltered housing scheme in West Bridgford should have been a pleasant and exciting time for its resident; unfortunately this was not the case due to two builders from Mansfield who contaminated Mrs Jenkins' flat and possessions with asbestos dust and put the public at risk with waste left outside the flat.

Abbott and Mason Building and Joinery Contractors Ltd were renovating the 96-year-old's bathroom, in February 2010, when they removed asbestos boards that had been used to box in pipe works in the original bathroom.

The two builders and their staff failed to take proper precautions while undertaking the work at the flat in Nottingham, leaving dust on the floor, failing to cover and seal furnishings properly and leaving asbestos panels outside the main entrance to the housing trust flats where they were working without signs to warn the public.

The HSE prosecuted the firm after it had carried out the works at the flat in 2010 and have fined the builders £20,000.

source:asbestos industry news