Polski Dzial Exposure to Asbestos Continues to Put Lives at Risk
A recent BBC report highlighted the number of people who are continuing to suffer serious, and often, fatal illnesses as a result of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos Exposure Still Occuring This exposure usually takes place many years before victims are diagnosed with asbestos related cancers such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, and historically has occurred in […]
Consultation Begins on New Asbestos Law
A formal consultation process is now underway on a new bill designed to re-claim the medical costs of treating people suffering from asbestos related diseases. The bill is backed by Clydeside Action on Asbestos and is being taken forward as a member’s bill at Holyrood by MSP Stuart McMillan. The Recovery of Medical Costs for […]
Death Toll from Occupational Cancers Continues to Rise
Recently released figures have revealed a large rise in the number of deaths from mesothelioma, which is a cause of great concern for the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). In 2012 there were 2,535 deaths from the disease, most of which were caused by past occupational exposure to asbestos the Health and Safety […]
NHS Workers Potentially Exposed to Asbestos
An NHS Trust has been fined after it was found likely to have exposed workers to potentially fatal asbestos material for more than a decade at its three hospitals in Hertfordshire. The estates team, whose work is to carry out small repairs and maintenance projects where external contractors are not needed, were not made aware […]
Control of Asbestos Regulations
The Health and Safety Executive has advised that the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force on 6th April 2012, updating previous asbestos regulations to take account of the European Commission’s view that the UK had not fully implemented the EU Directive on exposure to asbestos. In practice the changes are fairly limited. They […]
Firm fined after failing to manage asbestos
A laboratory testing firm has been prosecuted after putting workers at its Tyneside premises at risk of exposure to asbestos. An investigation was launched into the activities of Exova (UK) Limited following a complaint the company had not dealt with damaged asbestos at its site despite being recommended to do so on two previous occasions. […]
Supreme Court brings justice for asbestos victims
Trade Unions have welcomed the landmark ruling by the Supreme Court which will affect many of the 2,500 people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Mesothelioma is a terminal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has an unusually long gestation period, which can be in excess of 40 years between exposure […]
Failure to identify asbestos put workers at risk
A Cardiff company has been fined for putting the health of demolition workers at risk after a building survey failed to identify the presence of asbestos. Between 15th and 25th January 2010 PHH Environmental (UK) Ltd was commissioned to produce an asbestos survey on the soon to be demolished Old Castle Cinema in Merthyr Tydfil. […]
Prison sentence for asbestos related negligence
Two former businessmen have been sentenced by an Italian court to 16 years in jail for negligence that contributed to the asbestos related deaths of over 2,000 people, reports the Scotsman. Stephan Schmidheiny, from Switzerland, was the former owner of Swiss construction firm Eternit, and Jean Louis Marie Ghislain De Cartier De Marchienne, from Belgium, […]