Asbestos News
Burned down Australian factory presents asbestos dangers
Australian workers are currently removing debris from the site of a fire in an asbestos-containing factory.A packaging and plastics factory in Turella, New South Wales, burned to the ground and while no one was injured in the blaze the site still presents hazards to the area, reports the St. George & Sutherland Squire Leader.
Paul Gellatly with Ross Mitchell and Associates is working on the cleanup of the site, which needs to be handled very carefully due to the presence of asbestos.
"We have to make sure the footpath and road are safe before it's opened again... asbestos explodes when it is burned so it's not safe," he told the news provider.
Asbestos in fire-damaged buildings can present serious dangers as the flames can spread the deadly mineral fibers throughout the area. If these fibers are inhaled they can cause a range of serious illnesses such asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Australia is well aware of the rare and deadly cancer as the country reportedly has the highest incidence rate of the disease in the world.
Officials said that they do not believe the fire was lit intentionally but they are still working to determine its precise cause.
1/24/12
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