Asbestos News

A carpenter was recently cited in the UK for allowing asbestos to become airborne during a kitchen renovation project.

During renovation work in Solihull earlier this year, William Rogers removed asbestos-containing insulation board from a kitchen. Rogers had reportedly believed that he had been dealing with asbestos cement, which does not require a specialist to handle, according to a release from the Health and Safety Executive, Britain's workplace safety organization.

Rogers also did not store and dispose of the material properly. The violations were discovered by a licensed asbestos contractor who was working in the area and who spotted the asbestos material.

HSE principal inspector Jo Anderson said it is vital that workers take precautions during all types of work.

"Tradespeople are highly likely to come across asbestos at some point in their career," the inspector said. "They must make sure they are properly trained so that they can identify it and know what to do next and there is a wealth of guidance available on HSE's website to help them."

Exposure to asbestos has been proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.