Asbestos News

Renovation work on the Bridewell Alley Museum in Norwich, UK, has been delayed following the discovery of asbestos on the site, reports the Norwich Evening News.

According to the news source, it was announced in March that the renovation work on the museum had been pushed back from the fall of 2011 to the summer of 2012. Officials had initially suggested that the delay was due to cuts needed within the county council.

However, John Perrott, the city's business manager for community services, told the news source that the delay was a result of a number of factors, including the asbestos discovery.

"There are several reasons for the delay," he said. "Last spring asbestos was found as part of the works to improve disabled access to the museum. This delayed things by several weeks."

Vanessa Trevelyan, head of the Norfolk Museum Service, added that the asbestos was discovered in the pipes at the front of the museum, which was formerly a shop.

It is critical that asbestos is handled with care and removed prior to renovation work as exposure to the dangerous material can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.