Asbestos News
UK fire posed asbestos risk to area
A large exclusion zone had to be placed around a fire in the UK because the blaze engulfed a structure that contained asbestos.According to the BBC News, an industrial unit in Lanarkshire caught fire, and because it contained asbestos a 200-meter area around the building needed to be cordoned off to protect people from exposure to the deadly substance.
"This was a major blaze in a large industrial unit. Additional worries for us were the three acetylene cylinders on site, the roof, which was confirmed as asbestos, and a 1,000 liter diesel tank," Incident Commander Gary Wallace told the news source. "These additional issues saw us setting up a 200-meter exclusion zone and required residents to be evacuated from nearby homes."
Fires in buildings that contain asbestos can be very dangerous because the flames can cause the disturbance of the naturally occurring substance and spread them throughout the area. The inhalation of these deadly mineral fibers can cause a number of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
No one was injured in the blaze, reports the news source.
6/16/11
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