Asbestos News
Cancer unit at UK hospital to open on schedule despite asbestos discovery
A new cancer screening unit at St. George's Hospital in the UK will reportedly still open on time after asbestos was discovered on the property, reports This Is Local London.According to the news source, concerns about potential delays were brought up after workers found asbestos while renovating the site. A spokesperson for the hospital said in a statement that there was only a small amount of the carcinogenic substance discovered.
"Control measures were immediately put in place, and the material will be safely removed," the spokesperson said. "The trust is confident that this will not delay the planned opening in October 2011."
The discovery of asbestos can halt construction and renovation projects as the dangerous mineral fibers can become airborne when loosened during such work. The inhalation of these fibers has been proven to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 2,500 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
6/22/11
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