The fire-retardant properties of asbestos made it ideal for use in the railway industry. Its main purpose was for lagging pipe work and boilers, but the substance was also found in brake pads and insulating materials. In fact, dangerous asbestos sprays were commonly used throughout trains to insulate carriages and engines. This prolific use during […]
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Teaching profession at risk of asbestos exposure
The fact that our schools contain high levels of asbestos is not in dispute, but the Department for Education remains unwilling to accept that the continuing presence of asbestos poses a significant danger to staff and pupils. A recent survey of school buildings commissioned by the government, reportedly costing £20 million, specifically excluded asbestos. The […]
Asbestos factory owners attempt to discredit journalists
A report in The Independent has revealed that executives at Turner and Newall asbestos manufacturers attempted to cover up the dangers of exposure to asbestos by creating a smear campaign against journalists. Researchers for a television documentary shown on Yorkshire Television during the 1980s were reportedly spied upon and deliberately discredited by bosses at the […]
New asbestos waste plant gets go-ahead in Basildon
Permission has been given for a new waste plant that will handle asbestos, to be built in Basildon. Approval by the council has raised concerns amongst residents about the impact on their health as well as the value of their homes, and they are backing a call for compensation by a local councillor. The new […]
Breaches of asbestos regulations, and how HSE respond
Two recent breaches of asbestos regulations have demonstrated the extent of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) powers in dealing with offenders. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, intended to protect UK workers from the dangers of asbestos, are enforced by HSE who bring prosecutions for breaches of this and the Health and Safety at Work […]
Calls for asbestos illness screening for those in IRA bombings
Calls have been made for routine health screening for anyone caught up in the IRA bombings, whether as a victim of a bomb or those who dealt with the aftermath. The deaths of two people involved after-the-event in Brighton and Manchester have sparked concern about the number of potential victims there may be in the […]
Scottish Centre of Excellence proposed for work-related lung disorders
Proposals have been made to establish a Scottish-based Centre of Excellence for work-related lung disorders. It is hoped that it will help to identify and provide much-needed support to sufferers of debilitating and life-threatening asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. MSP Hugh Henry of the Scottish Parliament will also introduce a motion for Glasgow’s Queen […]
Manchester bomb security guard falls victim to asbestos-related disease
The IRA bombing of Manchester in 1996 has claimed a victim almost 20 years after the incident. Former security guard, Stuart Packard, who was only 40 years old when he died, worked for three weeks at the scene of the bombing. Although nobody was killed, more than 200 people were injured, and buildings were so […]