asbestos in the environment
Long prison sentences for people who dumped asbestos waste in Staffordshire
The prison sentences for people who dump asbestos in the countryside are usually derisory. But two people who dumped waste, including asbestos, on a massive scale have been given substantial prison sentences at Shrewsbury Crown Court. Raymond Bowden, 64 of Liverpool Road, Church Lawton was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Joe Frizell, 48 of…
Read MoreThe Broken Ones take on the Hallow 12 Parish Challenge
My name is Sue Farrall. On September the 2nd 2022 I was given the devastating news that I have mesothelioma. The story so far Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. I was 56 years of age with a 25 year work history in community pharmacy. I did not fit…
Read MoreTwo asbestos campaigns highlight the risks
As we approach Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1 – 7 April), the HSE is calling on your support to share its asbestos campaigns to protect workers’ health. Asbestos did not disappear when it was banned in the UK in 1999. It remains in millions of homes and buildings today and can become dangerous when disturbed…
Read MoreService user appears on ITV Central News
Martin Hillsom, one of our service users, appeared last night on a package about asbestos removal in the ITV Central News teatime broadcast. He featured alongside Harminder Bains from the law firm Leigh Day. The package starts 16 minutes into the programme. Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
Read MoreAndy Street’s Message to ASCE’s Supporters
Andy Street, the West Midlands Mayor, will be joining supporters of the West Midlands charity, Asbestos Support Central England, for an event on Action Mesothelioma Day, Friday 7th July, at the Priory Rooms in Bull Street Birmingham. The event begins at 1pm but Andy will be calling in at about 3pm and will speak briefly…
Read MoreWatch Dr Xand Talking to People About Mesothelioma
People living with mesothelioma report that this is an excellent programme from the BBC. It features Liz Darleston, the CEO of Mesothelioma UK, as well as two patients who talk about their condition. They explain how they were exposed to asbestos. Something to share with your friends. The link is here.
Read MoreThe hidden challenge of asbestos in social housing
In November last year NORAC (The National Organisation of Asbestos Consultants), together with ATaC (the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association) undertook the first ever review of how asbestos is managed in the UK. Over a six month period their experts examined 128,761 buildings. They found asbestos in more than 100,000 of them. It could be…
Read MoreHSE launches new campaign, ‘Asbestos & You’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign aimed at tradespeople, their managers and supervisors. The campaign material also contains useful information for homeowners, landlords and DIYers. The HSE says: Any job, any day of the week, can potentially release lethal asbestos fibres. It’s not like dust – you can’t see, smell,…
Read MoreThe number of women with asbestos related diseases is growing
After asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 it was assumed that the number of people with an asbestos related disease would reach a peak and then start to decline. This still isn’t happening. One reason is that asbestos related diseases mostly affect older people. Life expectancy has increased by six years since 1990.…
Read MoreWe need to learn the lessons from asbestos
The story of asbestos is a warning of worse to come. Industry enthusiastically embraced asbestos after World War II. It was cheap and plentiful. It was easy to use and ideal for insulating things or making them more flexible. Despite warning signs, no one stopped to consider its impact on the environment or on human…
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