Archive for Asbestos

Climate Changes Brings Asbestos Dangers to Light

The danger of climate change has been making itself apparent in recent years. As natural disasters occur more frequently, they bring about significant economic, financial, and environmental destruction, as well as several dangers toward human health and safety. According to the Australian government, another issue that comes up after a natural disaster is the increased risk of asbestos exposure. Concerns are growing among Australians as the occurrence of earthquakes and floods is increasing.

Frequently used in construction up until the 1970s, asbestos is virtually harmless if left undisturbed, but becomes incredibly dangerous otherwise. When asbestos is moved, it releases microscopic fibers into the air, which can then be inhaled and embedded into the lungs. These fibers are often the cause of mesothelioma cancer, a disease that remains dormant in the body for decades after asbestos exposure before severely affecting the lining of the lungs. When the dangers of asbestos became known its use became heavily restricted or banned in most western countries, but many structures containing the substance still exist. As a precaution, governments have put strict regulations on the handling and removal of asbestos in order to minimize the risk.

According to Geoff Fray, Chairman of Australia’s Asbestos Management Review, natural disasters pose a serious health risk in their ability to release asbestos into the environment. The government has raised concerns that this level of exposure will eventually lead to increased rates of mesothelioma cancer and lung cancer, so the review is making efforts to raise awareness and tighten up guidelines for preventing exposure. As it stands, around 600 people in Australia die from mesothelioma annually.

Professor Bogda Koczwara, President of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia, said that this rate is increasing.

“This is a highly lethal cancer with very poor survival, yet many people don’t realize they are exposing themselves to asbestos when they pull up their lino [sic] floors or recover relics from their flooded home.”

These concerns are also relevant to the United States, whose regulation of asbestos is strict without having outright banned the substance. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to stress that people should avoid handling any damaged material should their homes and businesses be affected by a natural disaster. People should wait until emergency crews arrive to remove any hazardous material.

At the current rate of exposure, mesothelioma cancer is expected to peak within the next decade. The hope is that regular compliance with safety restrictions will eventually eradicate or at least significantly reduce asbestos cancers.

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New Asbestos Legislation in Ireland

Northern Ireland’s Finance Minister has just approved new legislation that will allow its residents to claim compensation for pleural mesothelioma contracted following asbestos exposure.

According to Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, the new legislation will take effect on December 14th. It overturns a 2007 decision by the House of Lords stating that victims of asymptomatic, asbestos-related conditions could not claim compensation. £2.5 million has already been set aside for claims.

In Scotland, a similar ruling came before the UK Supreme Court after a long-running challenge initiated by insurance providers.

In October of this year, the Supreme Court rejected the insurers’ claims that the legislation infringed on human rights.

On Monday, Sammy Wilson emphasized the importance of this legislation.

“…I always believed that the policy objectives of the Act were just and fair and that belief has now been vindicated by the ruling of the UK Supreme Court in relation to Scottish legislation.

“The 2011 Act may be short and targeted, but it is a vitally important Act, which seeks to ensure the continued availability of a method of redress for ordinary working men and women.”

Pleural plaques, caused by asbestos exposure, are small, localized areas of fibrosis that occur in the membrane of the lungs. Before 2007, it was possible to award damages to victims of negligent asbestos exposure even in the absence of symptoms. This new legislation makes this a reality again.

“It must be devastating to be told that you have developed a conditions as a result of having been exposed to asbestos. To be told then that you couldn’t claim compensation for that condition would clearly make the matter worse.” said Wilson.

“The 2011 Act essentially reverses that decision and, whilst the ability to pursue a claim in damages will not fully compensate for any wrong which was done, I hope that those affected will derive some comfort from the fact that the wrongdoer can once again be held to account.”

Asbestos exposure is one of the only known causes of pleural plaques and mesothelioma cancer, both of which affect the lining of the lungs. Left undisturbed, asbestos is virtually harmless, but disturbing it releases microscopic, needle-like fibers that can then be inhaled and embedded into the lungs. Mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos related conditions often do not appear until decades after exposure. Though the use of asbestos is heavily regulated or altogether banned in Western countries, mesothelioma cancer continues to be an issue, as they are the result of asbestos exposure that occurred when the substance was widely used.

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Montreal Hospital Loses Green Status Over Asbestos Use

The McGill University Health Centre, a hospital which prides itself on adhering to strict environmental guidelines for constructing its new hospital, faces to lose it’s “green” status for using asbestos fibers in its drainage pipes.

The hospital is still striving to maintain its status as environmentally friendly and has announced that it would seek at least “silver status,” in the internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. The Canada Green Buildings Council, the authority on LEED certification standards, clearly prohibits the use of asbestos in new construction. On the contrary, credit towards a LEED certification is given for the removal of the dangerous substance.

SNC-Lavalin, the firm responsible for the construction of the pipes, has made no statement regarding the issue, according to the Montreal Gazette. The MUHC however, has released a statement defending the choice to use asbestos in the construction project, saying that there will be no danger of asbestos fibers circulating the air in the hospital. The statement goes on to say that the pipes in question contain only around 13 percent asbestos, will be used specifically for the purpose of draining stormwater and pose no risk of emitting particles into the air due to their rigidity. Furthermore, the statement claims that the Quebec Safety Code of Construction does permit the use of asbestos in construction as long as the material is “non-friable.”

MUHC acknowledges that the use of asbestos in the construction carries a risk, but only during the construction process.

“The only risks associated… occur when cutting pipes. But these risks are will controlled and all precautions are taking in accordance with the guidelines…”

Asbestos has already been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most dangerous occupational substances. Left undisturbed, the substance is harmless, but once it’s microscopic fibers are released into the air, they can be inhaled and embedded into the lungs. Asbestos exposure can result in mesothelioma cancer as well as other lung cancers. In use until the 1970s, the substance has since been banned in over 50 countries, as government and health organizations try to reduce the occurrence of asbestos exposure.

Where asbestos is still in use, it is often because it is cheaper than the other alternatives. Furthermore, contractors that fail to properly abate asbestos from their sites often do so because the process is costly and tedious. According to the Montreal Gazette, the MUHC statement said that there is “no data available about the costs or savings” as a result of the use of asbestos as the construction site.

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