Asbestos News
Asbestos-containing vacuum cleaner stolen from UK pub
An industrial vacuum cleaner that was recently stolen from a UK pub is full of asbestos, police are warning the thieves.The vacuum was taken from the Rodbourne Arms in Swindon on the night of April 11, according to the BBC. The piece of equipment was used to clean up asbestos dust and fibers and had not been emptied, the pub's owners told the authorities.
"We are appealing for anyone who took the cleaner or may be offered it to come forward and let us know where it is so it can be dealt with," a police spokesman said. "We are issuing an urgent warning over asbestos contamination... following confirmation from the pub owners that the cleaner contained the substance."
Exposure to asbestos, which was once widely used as an insulator and flame retardant, can have serious health consequences as the inhalation of the mineral fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that attacks the thin membrane that lines the chest, abdomen and a majority of the body's internal organs.
According to the World Health Organization, such illnesses kill 107,000 people each year worldwide.
4/12/11
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