Asbestos News

The D Building of Danbury High School in Danbury, Connecticut, has been covered in plastic as workers begin to replace windows and remove asbestos from the structure, the Danbury Patch reports.

According to the news source, the work includes replacing 40-year-old windows with some that are more energy efficient. The caulk around the windows - which reportedly may contain asbestos - is also being removed. Each window is wrapped in plastic once removed to ensure that it is safely disposed of.

"It's a major undertaking," Thomas Hughes, superintendent of construction services in Danbury's Public Works Department, told the news source. "The window guys are right behind the men removing the windows."

Antonio Iadarola, director of public works, added that the asbestos is not friable, meaning it is not creating its own dust. The work is designed to remove the asbestos before it becomes more of a serious health risk to students and staff.

Taking caution when it comes to asbestos removal is critical, as the inhalation of the dangerous mineral fibers has been linked to the development of asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer diagnosed in approximately 2,500 people around the U.S. each year.