Plea in U.K. for National Database of Workplace Asbestos
Unions and support groups have asked the United Kingdom for a national database of workplace asbestos so that employees can judge the safety of their environment.
Growing evidence suggests asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the lung lining, and other diseases caused by exposure to the toxic mineral, are increasingly prevalent among workers in schools, hospitals and other public buildings. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that between 1980 and 2000 some 183 teachers and lecturers died from mesothelioma, which is caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers are virtually undetectable without special equipment.
According to officials, asbestos is the number one cause of workplace deaths in the UK. Formerly thought of as an “old man’s disease,” mesothelioma is being found in younger people today who may be exposed to asbestos when buildings are demolished, or in construction or automotive industries. In the United States, some schools undergoing renovation have so much asbestos to be dismantled and disposed of that the schools were closed for some months during toxic cleanup.
Parents in Britain argue that a national database would reveal how much asbestos is in schools children attend. Some 13,000 primary schools in Britain were built between 1945 and 1974 when asbestos-containing materials were widely used. Mesothelioma often takes up to 30 years to develop and is painful and difficult to treat.
Nurses and other hospital workers as well as construction workers might also be at risk, because of asbestos-containing products, said those calling for the national database.
Mesothelioma attorneys in the U.S. are closely watching the results of this request to see if similar legislation might be possible here. The HSE’s campaign, “Asbestos: The Hidden Killer” will run through November.
