Asbestos that has been found in 38 different fire stations in South Wales, UK has been removed at an expense of over 1 million to the taxpayer. The main fire station of the country’s capital was found to need urgent attention along with stations in 7 other towns. The cost of the removal was revealed after a Freedom of Information request from Chris Franks, a member of the Welsh political party, Plaid Cymru.

The figure represented the majority of the stations in south Wales with only 5 passing inspection. The majority of the asbestos found was of the lesser toxic white variety although the extremely toxic brown variety was found at a minority.

According to the Fire service, almost 300,000 was spent on the removal of asbestos with the costs at each premises ranging from 1,000 to 35,000. An extra 170,000 also spent on refurbishment works with the rest funding the safe disposal of the material.

The figures represent a significant portion of the fire service budget for which the head of South Wales Fire and Rescue has written to ministers to highlight. Although the work is essential, it will place a significant burden on the financial abilities of the public sector, something that cannot be taken lightly in the emergency services especially during a time of severe cuts.

It is a legal requirement that asbestos removal is undertaken by qualified professionals and handled and disposed of correctly. Many individuals run scams where they charge huge amounts for work that can be done much cheaper claiming that due to strict laws they have no choice but to charge that price.

Although the use of asbestos is banned, many buildings predating the ban have abundant amounts of it lining the walls and ceilings as a fireproof insulation. Some types of asbestos are considered fairly safe if in tact but once it becomes damaged or begins to age; it can release lethal fibres into the air causing fatal diseases such as Mesothelioma or Asbestosis.

The total cost of the removal has crippled the emergency service budget in South Wales but they could face further costs if any of the workers wish to hire an asbestos lawyer to make a mesothelioma claim.

categories: asbestos,respiratory diseases,mesothelioma,lung cancer,construction,building,insulation

Fernand Turcotte is a veteran of the tobacco wars; he is an occupational health expert and a retired professor of at Universit Laval in Quebec. Now he is leading most of the country’s medical and scientific community against the asbestos industry and the politicians who support them.

Leaders of the asbestos industry are awaiting the agreement for a vital loan needed to expand an asbestos mine in the town of Asbestos, Quebec. The expansion of the mine will create nearly 500 jobs and secure Canada’s place in the industry for at least 30 years.

Turcotte has forwarded a petition signed by 50 of Canada’s top medical and scientific experts, demanding the government outlaw the mining, use or export of chrysotile asbestos. The World Health Organisation released a document last week calling for a halt to all asbestos use since, “all types of asbestos cause lung cancer, Mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and asbestosis.

Studies by the WHO show that nearly 130 million people are unsafely exposed to asbestos in their workplace on a daily basis and over 100,000 people died in the last year from exposure to the fibre. These shocking statistics, multi-million dollar lawsuits, spiralling costs to the health industry all raise many questions over the moral, political or economic reasons for Canada to continue supporting the asbestos industry.

Asbestos was used in the construction of Canada’s industry until the 1970s but now local production is largely exported to developing nations where activists fear checks on its safe use are lacking. When inhaled the fibres can scar lungs and cause disease, including cancer.

In Ottawa, over 100 health professionals and a handful of politicians led an anti-asbestos rally on Parliament hill. But Turcotte is frustrated that the mounting number of public declarations and petitions of scientific and medical institutions are not having an effect on the politicians.

“People in third world countries will curse the name of Canada if this (mining) continues,” said Mike Bradley, mayor of Sarnia, Ontario. Sarnia is an industrial town on the edge of Lake Huron has suffered an astonishing number of asbestos-related cancers and deaths.

Many people who have suffered as a result of exposure to asbestos are recruiting the services of an asbestos lawyer primarily for mesothelioma compensation

The toxic, fireproof, insulating material, which was banned in the 1990s exists in a variety of forms including; cement, floor tiles, insulating coatings, lagging and loose. Many buildings build before it was banned can still contain at least one form of asbestos as it is sometimes too expensive and too difficult to remove which meant it was left behind.

Cement containing asbestos can come in the form of roofing, cladding and guttering. The most common is corrugated cement roofing often found on farm buildings, warehouses and some sheds. This would be considered the safest form of asbestos as it is held tightly within the concrete and can only be released by being sawed or drilled.

Textured and sprayed asbestos was used to cover many internal walls and ceilings in lofts and often living spaces but while the textured coating is generally considered quite safe the sprayed coating is very unstable and can release large quantities of toxins into the air if disturbed.

Asbestos floor tiles were often used when insulating floor surfaces underneath carpeting or laminate flooring. A similar version of the material was even used in fire blankets and oven gloves. It is generally quite safe but still considered a risk and should not be handled or worked with.

Asbestos insulating board (AIB) was quite commonly used in partition walls, lift shafts, roof linings and fire doors. Large quantities of this can still be found in many buildings built from the 1950s onwards and it is considered very dangerous to work with and only handled by a full licensed contractor.

Many cavities, pipes and boilers are filled and coated with loose fill and lagging asbestos. These are both considered very hazardous and should not be worked with or exposed to anyone other than a trained contractor. Exposure to any of the toxic fibres released can cause damaging respiratory problems and eventually cause a form of cancer known as Mesothelioma.

Want advice on asbestos in buildings then visit the ‘whats-my-claim-worth’ site to find out if you canmake a claim for asbestos exposure.