We shouldn’t need to tell you about the dangers of asbestos. All forms of the naturally occurring mineral are known carcinogens, and its use has been banned completely in the UK since the turn of the millennium. While it continues to turn up in old buildings, products and on brownfield land, safety assessors across the… Read More
With the Government having banned asbestos almost two decades ago, construction companies are still working to remove the fibres from buildings. Although companies are training staff to work safely within asbestos exposure sites, they do not always realise the dangers of silica dust. However, there is a mineral found in many materials, commonly used on… Read More
Asbestos is still a tough nut to crack when it comes to people, both in and out of the construction industry understanding the dangers of asbestos. Because of this, we thought that we should give a general explanation of what asbestos is, an outline of the history of its use and why the material is… Read More
It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s miserable…it’s February. We know there’s asbestos that still needs dealing with out there in the world – but we also know that you’d rather learn about it from the comfort of your own home, or nestled in a nice warm coffee shop. That’s why for February only, we’re lowering the… Read More
The health risks of asbestos, a previously common fire retardant, have been known about for decades. However, the fact that it was only banned in the UK in 2000 means we have more reason to worry than most. Anything built before then, particularly in the 1970s, has a substantial chance of containing some asbestos. The… Read More
As you may have already seen, we have talked about in-depth about Why Asbestos is Dangerous, but we thought we would give you a quick refresh. Asbestos was used in the building trade in the 20th century for many decades, because of its resistance to chemical reactions, fire and heat. Because of this, it was… Read More
Pleural thickening is a lung disease where the thin membrane covering the lung, known as the pleura, becomes scarred and damaged. As a result of this scar tissue buildup the space between the lungs and the pleura can close up, which can cause chest pain and a loss in breathing function. Of all of the… Read More
Asbestos and Lung Cancer Medical experts first established a correlation between exposure to asbestos and lung cancer in 1935. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) currently reports that around 20 tradespeople a week could be dying from asbestos-related lung cancer, and estimate that tradespeople encounter asbestos 100 times a year. There are around 5,000 asbestos… Read More
It is estimated by the World Health Organisation that around 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in their workplace, and there are more than 107,000 deaths due to asbestos exposure. So, what can you do to eliminate asbestos? It is recommended that you have an asbestos specialist remove any asbestos you find in… Read More
What is occupational disease? An occupational disease is any symptom or illness that evolves from an individual’s exposure to risk factors in the workplace. These illnesses can have numerous causes and symptoms, and can vary wildly in severity. The earliest recognised occupational illness was squamous-cell carcinoma of the scrotum, which was identified in chimney sweep… Read More