Asbestos News

A storage facility for ambulances in New South Wales, Australia, was closed down temporarily after asbestos was discovered while work was being conducted by contractors, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports.

According to the news source, WorkCover New South Wales, a government agency that oversees workplace safety, issued a prohibition notice to the ambulance station in early June, restricting access to the site. Paramedics were reportedly in the room when contractors drilled into an area that contained asbestos.

Recently, however, the agency completed its investigation and the station has officially been deemed safe for workers, the news source said.

Completing the appropriate testing and ensuring that asbestos is removed from buildings is critically important, as the inhalation of the carcinogenic mineral fibers can cause a number of deadly illnesses including lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma. The World Health Organization estimates these diseases claim the lives of approximately 107,000 people around the world each year.

According to ABC, the ambulance station was also closed down for a number of months in 2006 following a similar scare.