Asbestos News
UK city council hit with fine over asbestos risk at school
The UK's Birmingham City Council was recently fined more than £6,000 for its alleged role in exposing three workers to asbestos while they renovated classrooms at the William Cowper Community Primary School in Newtown.According to the Birmingham Mail, the city council has reportedly admitted violating health and safety regulations when two workers from a subcontractor and a caretaker were allegedly exposed to asbestos for a number of hours while they removed roof tiles in July 2009.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that it initiated an investigation after the council reported the discovery of asbestos in the building.
"Because of the failing of the council and the firm, three people now have to live with the knowledge they may become ill from lung disease in the future," HSE principal inspector Jo Anderson said in a statement. "The long term health risks associated with exposure to asbestos dust are well known and it is simply unacceptable for incidents such as this to still be taking place."
The risks Anderson refers to include the potential development of asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. According to the World Health Organization, such illnesses kill approximately 107,000 people worldwide each year.
9/6/11
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