The meeting has been described by Save Spodden Valley campaigner Jason Addy as ‘very fitting’ as Rochdale was the birthplace of the asbestos industry at the Turner Newall site in Spodden Valley.

Rochdale was where Nellie Kershaw was identified as the first ‘asbestosis’ death in 1924.

The event will focus on terminal asbestos cancer, named, mesothelioma. Documents from Turner Newall reveal their first mesothelioma victim was another Rochdale TBA worker - William Pennington in 1936.

Mr Addy said: “Today over 2000 people die each year in the UK of mesothelioma - the trend is still rising. Deaths occur as a result of exposure to asbestos many decades before, usually 20-40 years. There is no cure for mesothelioma - it is considered a very cruel disease but also a lottery as to who exposed to asbestos may succumb to it.

He added: “The Health and Safety Executive confirm there is no known safe threshold level for exposure to the microscopic asbestos fibres - that is why the plans for an ‘urban village’ on the former Turner’s site have met with such concern and opposition in Rochdale and throughout the world.

Mr Addy concluded: “Friday’s event will be to mark those deaths and to aim for positive solutions to ensure future generations are kept safe from asbestos - once a ‘magic mineral’ but now undoubtedly a ‘killer dust’.

Source Rochdale Online

Oil company Total said traces of asbestos had been found at the North East Lincolnshire refinery.

The material was discovered after the fire and explosion at the refinery’s crude oil distillation unit on Tuesday.

A 24-year-old Grimsby man, Robert Greenacre, who was working nearby, died in the incident.

Total said the asbestos was found on Wednesday afternoon at the HDS-3 processing unit which is adjacent to the distillation unit.

A spokeswoman said it was thought asbestos insulation had been “disturbed” by Tuesday’s incident, which is being being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the police.

She said that contractors at the HDS-3 unit, thought to be in their hundreds, had been sent home while safety checks continued.

Phil Whitehurst, of the GMB union said: “Independent specialists from Yorkshire have found traces of asbestos at the scene of the explosion.

“Workers on the HDS-3 plant have been sent home on full pay until Monday while specialists deal with the asbestos problem.”

More than 50 firefighters from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service were called to the plant where black smoke was seen billowing into the sky.

Employees at the refinery said the fire started in a superheated industrial heater near where they walked to work.

Two other people suffered minor injuries in the incident.

Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humberside/10479837.stm

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer that still kills one person every five hours in Britain because it takes so long to develop – between 15 and 50 years. Asbestos can also cause a chronic lung disease, called asbestosis.

While many victims have been exposed by working in heavy industrial environments, asbestos also poses a threat to homeowners.

The BLF poll showed nearly two- thirds of DIYers were not confident about identifying asbestos-containing materials, while one in ten admittted they would try to remove it themselves if they came across it.

Typically, asbestos can be found in interior materials such as floor tiles, toilet cisterns, textured ceilings, pipe coatings and boiler cupboard linings. It’s also commonly found in old garage and shed roofs, and ageing gutters and rainwater fall pipes.

Originally it was used to make materials more rigid, insulative and fire resistant, and was used widely in house construction from the 1950s. It’s estimated around 14million homes were built when asbestos materials were being used.

Even homes built before the 1950s may contain asbestos if they have since been renovated.

Asbestos can be quite difficult to identify but householders don’t need to panic as it isn’t a risk to health unless it’s disturbed or damaged.

For example, it can be difficult to tell the difference between an asbestos-insulating board and some ordinary non-asbestos plasterboards, ceiling tiles or wall panels.

Drilling, sanding or breaking up an asbestos sheet partition wall would release a large amount of harmful fibres into the atmosphere, which can be breathed in if you’re not wearing protective clothing and a mask. Once released, fibres can remain in the house for years.

Householders who suspect there may be asbestos in their home should seek advice from their local authority or a licensed contractor, who will also be able to deal with strict disposal rules which require material to be properly packaged and delivered to a licensed disposal site.

Not dealing with known asbestos properly can lead to fines or other penalties under health and safety laws and the Control of Asbestos Regulations Act.

The general advice is that protective clothing should be worn but the safest thing to do is have the material checked by a UKAS-accredited laboratory, which can also carry out home surveys if a big refurbishment is planned and it’s feared asbestos materials are present. A survey can cost from around £100.

* Yorkshire Building Society will cheer up first-time buyers today with the launch of a 90 per cent mortgage. The First Time Buyer exclusive two-year fixed-rate product is priced at 5.99 per cent with £500 cashback and offers including no product fee, a free valuation report and legal service. It also comes with free contents and buildings insurance for the first 12 months. The mortgages are only available to first-time buyers through the Yorkshire Building Society’s branches.

* Use a properly fitted mask to the standard EN149 (type FFP3) or EN1827 (type FMP3), overalls and boot covers.

* Wash DIY clothing in a washing machine and make sure you wear a mask when dealing with it.

* If you disturb asbestos don’t use a domestic vacuum cleaner as dust may pass through the filter. Hire a special (Class H) industrial vacuum cleaner that complies with British Standards.

* Do not put asbestos waste in the dustbin – seek advice from the council about how to safely dispose of it.

Source: British Lung Foundation

An inspection report obtained by The Independent on Sunday shows a grim picture of the lack of controls on the potentially deadly substance lurking in the fabric of thousands of schools. Analysts who conducted the nationwide survey found that too few head teachers manage asbestos properly; many rely on containment plans more than a decade old and some have never drawn up plans at all.

The audit, by the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association, also found that some schools had asbestos particles in the air; some allowed workmen to disturb the material and others simply didn’t know the rules for managing the threat from building projects.

The IoS revealed last November that campaigners had arranged inspections of 100 English schools to demonstrate the threat from asbestos which they blame for a series of illnesses – including the cancer mesothelioma – which claim the lives of at least 16 teachers a year. MPs, union leaders, and families persuaded the association to carry out the tests for free, after the Government refused funding.

A preliminary report said that most schools are failing to comply with their legal “duty to manage” the asbestos, that the responsibility for ensuring safety was dogged by confusion, and that staff training was “either poor or non-existent”. The report concluded: “It is not therefore surprising that the standards of asbestos management were unacceptable in the majority of schools. This should have been identified and corrected.”

The majority of schools are thought to contain asbestos, which was used as insulation or fire protection from the 1940s until the 1980s. Local councils must keep records of how many schools contain asbestos, but they do not have to know what state it is in. They have largely opted to leave it in place, rather than risk further contamination by removing it. However, campaigners have warned that it poses a greater risk over time as it is disturbed by wear and tear and renovations, and releases fibres which could be lethal if inhaled.

The Lib Dem MP, Paul Rowen, who has led parliamentary demands for action against asbestos, said: “Only the Government can resolve this. We need it to show the political will and the funding to ensure this problem is tackled once and for all.”

The Health and Safety Executive insists there is no evidence that teachers are at increased risk

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/inspectors-say-schools-fail-to-protect-pupils-and-staff-from-asbestos-1891760.html

It is thought he breathed in the fibres when he was a machine worker in London in the 1950s. His brother-in-law who worked in the same factory also died of cancer caused by asbestos.

John Blake, who lived in Westerleigh Nursing Home, Corsica Road, Seaford, died in June 2009 due to mesothelioma, an aggressive type of cancer which has no cure. He was 86.

A post-mortem examination found asbestos fibres in his lungs. Asbestos can remain in the lungs for years, only causing cancer years later.

Mr Blake and his brother-in-law both worked for a London firm which made tanks and pressure vessels. It is believed asbestos was used in their construction. 

Mr Blake worked for the company for 10 to 12 years, leaving the firm, which was then based in Greenhithe, Kent in 1958 - before the dangers of asbestos were fully understood.

Mr Blake’s son Peter, who lives in Newhaven, told the inquest, held at Eastbourne Coroners’ Court on Thursday (January 7), “His brother-in-law worked there for longer but it was the same period of time.”  The coroner, Alan Craze, recorded a verdict of death caused by industrial disease. After leaving the firm, Mr Blake worked at Ford Motors. He was a widower with two childrenhttp://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/seaford/Man-killed-by-asbestos.5978640.jp

Proposed prison site in Caernarfon

DEVELOPERS insist asbestos contamination should not have halted the building of a prison in Caernarfon as they vow to develop a “jewel in the crown” housing and leisure project on the site.

The Ministry of Justice withdrew its interest in the former Ferodo site last month following a £200,000 due diligence exercise – stating the site was “unsuitable”.

Last week site owner Bluefield Caernarfon Ltd slammed the ministry over the decision and took the Daily Post on a tour of the site they now want to transform into local and holiday housing on the Menai Strait.

They said asbestos waste on the site is buried in capped clay pits away from the main site and that there was an offer on the table to clear the waste and accept liability if there were backdated compensation claims.

Gary Goodman, the company’s land and planning director, said: “The contamination was a smokescreen and we believe this was a political decision. We met every one of their concerns but they withdrew before ever trying to negotiate. We understand that price and liability for the asbestos were among their reasons for withdrawal but we never even got the chance to negotiate on this.

“The contaminated site is away from where the prison would have been sited and would have only been used as a land break between the prison and other housing.

“We believe that the enthusiasm for a prison in North Wales was lost once the Prisons minister David Hanson was replaced.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: “It was made clear in February that acquisition of the site would be subject to: Satisfactory negotiations with the owner, confirmation that contamination would not inhibit prison development, and a successful planning application.

“We were aware of potential contamination issues when we announced our interest in the site. “However we made it clear at the time we would follow our usual governance procedures to ensure the site is suitable for prison development.”

Mr Goodman says the prison plan has set their hopes to develop the site back nine months.

He said: “Things were going well when the Ministry came in and then it all went on hold. We feel we have wasted this time now when we could have been pushing on.“

“When they came in for the site we did not want to oppose it and stop the creation of 700 jobs but they have wasted our time.”

The company has already made its application for the housing and leisure scheme that will include 300 new homes.

He said: “The one good thing is that the phone has been red hot from people interested in working with us on our development here. This can be a jewel in the crown of the area. We will continue to remediate the site for development and everything we do is monitored by the Environment Agency.”

 http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/10/05/asbestos-was-no-reason-to-axe-caernarfon-prison-plan-55578-24852045/

A dispute over the number of people expected to die from exposure to asbestos fibres has led the Advertising Standards Authority to uphold a complaint against the Health and Safety Executive.

The highly unusual criticism of the government agency focused on a series of radio advertisements – “Asbestos: The Hidden Killer” – about the dangers for building workers and contractors.

The awareness campaign claimed that “Every year there are more people killed by asbestos than in road accidents.” It based its assertion partially on the number of death certificates that quoted mesothelioma (a form of cancer where the main cause is recognised as being inhalation of asbestos fibres) and partially on estimates of asbestos-related lung cancer.

Figures for fatalities, particularly among joiners, electricians and plumbers, have been rising recently. The HSE estimated that around 4,000 people in total died each year between 2004 and 2006.

But a complainant claimed the HSE ads exaggerated the danger to modern-day workers since most of the deaths had been due to exposure a long time ago from more dangerous types of asbestos that have since been banned.

The ASA concluded that “the ads could mislead by presenting as definitive figures which were, in part, based on estimates” and were therefore misleading. The agency was ordered not to broadcast the adverts again.

Responding to the ruling, Steve Coldrick, the HSE asbestos programme director, said: “We are obviously very disappointed with the decision by the ASA to uphold this sole complaint made against our award-winning campaign, but we do consider it to be only on a technicality.

“This campaign is clearly in the public interest and we are now looking to seek an independent review of the adjudication.

“HSE has made no deliberate attempt to mislead the public. Our advertising is based on the same robust statistical evidence and scientific understanding that underpins government policy on asbestos. Whatever the slight differences on interpretation of the figures, there are facts about risk from asbestos that workers should not be denied.

“Asbestos is Britain’s biggest work-related killer and significant exposure to asbestos fibres leads to illnesses that currently kill an estimated 4000 people every year – more than die in road accidents.

“Asbestos can be present in buildings built or refurbished up to the year 2000. There is no dispute that asbestos is dangerous to those workers, who are repeatedly exposed to airborne asbestos fibres from deliberate or accidental disturbance without taking proper precautions.”

The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, also expressed dismay at the ruling. “The Hidden Killer campaign is one of the most successful information campaigns the HSE has ever run. It was developed with the input of a group of workers with direct knowledge of the hazardous nature of asbestos and the adverts have the full support of unions.

“The TUC is surprised by the ASA judgment as the HSE fatalities figures have always been regarded as overly cautious and if all premature deaths caused by asbestos are included the figure would almost certainly be much higher. We hope that the HSE will continue to run hard-hitting campaigns like this.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/22/asbestos-ad-banned

The discovery was made at Hangingstone Quarry, near Burnhope, after dawn raids by 150 police officers and 50 experts from the Environment Agency.

Twelve sites, including a scrap yard, farm and a planned caravan park, were searched.

Police said eight men were arrested on suspicion of environmental, arson and car scrapping offences.

The raids were part of a long-running inquiry and involved the use of specialist sniffer dogs.

Those arrested are aged between 30 and 45, said police. Six vehicles, including a low-loader and a 4×4 were also seized.

‘Major operation’

Test holes were drilled at the quarry site before mechanical diggers unearthed the asbestos, which was identified by Environment Agency experts.

An agency spokeswoman said: “Samples are being kept for evidence purposes and the remainder will be removed by a team of specialist contractors.

“This is a major operation and shows the extent to which organised criminal groups are involved in the illegal dumping of waste.”

Durham’s Deputy Chief Constable Mike Barton said: “This is the start of a concerted and relentless campaign to rid County Durham of an organised crime group whose seemingly respectable business front is a sham and operates outside the law.

“The people who control and run it reap the benefits of a lifestyle to which they are not entitled.”

Searches at the other sites at Burnhope and Chester-le-Street are continuing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8272261.stm 

Thursday, 24 September 2009 12:07 UK