Asbestos News
Asbestos discovered at workshop fire site in Scotland
A workshop fire in the Midlothian council area of Scotland was reportedly termed a chemical incident after asbestos was determined to have been used in the building's construction.According to STV News, firefighters were ultimately pulled away from the blaze due to concerns that the roof could potentially collapse. A total of 29 firefighters were called to the scene in order to bring the fire under control, the news source said.
"It was discovered that the roof was asbestos so the incident was upgraded to a chemical incident," a spokesperson for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue told the news source. "Four breathing apparatus, one hose reel and two main jets were used to extinguish the fire. The firefighters within the inner cordon had to wear dust masks."
The news source reported that no one was injured in the fire.
Still, the presence of asbestos at the site of the blaze is alarming, as the carcinogenic mineral fibers can become inhaled if disturbed. The inhalation of these fibers has been proven for decades to cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer.
12/9/11
Related Articles
Roof replacement at Connecticut gym turns up asbestos, Ed Michler, 5/17/12
Australian factory fire prompts asbestos concerns, Ariella Yu, 5/16/12
Asbestos concerns arise at eastern Australian transfer stations, Ed Michler, 5/14/12
'Take-home' asbestos exposure is every bit as serious, http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos, 5/16/12
Traces of asbestos force closure of Canadian high school, Janet Hartung, 5/10/12
Asbestos exposure causes not just mesothelioma, but also emotional strain, http://icoh.confex.com/icoh/2012/webprogram/Paper7297.html, 5/10/12
Asbestos discovered during construction of North Carolina natural gas complex, Ed Michler, 5/9/12
Walk for asbestos disease-stricken Australian children completed, Janet Hartung, 5/7/12
Korean cases of mesothelioma decline, U.S. cases plateau, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22065/abstract, 5/8/12
University of South Carolina fined for asbestos violations, Janet Hartung, 5/4/12