Bristol City Council’s Head of planned maintenance said in 2019: “The [asbestos] monster has been with us for a number of years and we have a way of managing the monster…” That attitude is typical of English local authorities.
Why an asbestos register isn’t enough to protect people from danger
Even low levels of exposure to asbestos dust can cause the fatal illness mesothelioma. Stephensons is now joining the calls for an open register so council workers and contractors can find out exactly where they will find asbestos in these buildings. But we’re calling for zero tolerance of asbestos (#zeroasbestos). We want to see its gradual removal from all publicly owned buildings. This includes council property, hospitals, schools and some social housing. This could be done as part of measures to improve the environment and revive the economy.
Quite apart from the risk to people working in them, there is a substantial risk to public health every time one of these buidings catches fire or is flooded. This can release asbestos dust into the surrounding neighbourhood.
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Photo by Tak-Kei Wong on Unsplash