asbestos in the environment
MPs Condemn Johnson & Johnson for Continuing to Sell its Baby Powder
Ian Lavery, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Asbestos has tabled an Early Day motion (No 58341) in Parliament condemning Johnson & Johnson for continuing to sell baby powder found by scientists to be contaminated with asbestos. Please ask your MP to sign it. The background to the Motion Both the US…
Read MoreAsbestos Sheets Dumped on Country Roads
Staffordshire County Council has reported an increase in fly tipping on rural roads and lanes during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. This has included sheets of asbestos, which is dangerous to passersby and expensive to remove. The cost is borne by the taxpayer. They are appealing to everyone not to use tradespeople to carry out…
Read MoreThe Silent Killer: Asbestos in People’s Homes
This week’s ‘Engineering & Technology’ magazine draws attention to a hidden killer, asbestos in the home. The article, by Ben Heubl, warns that DIY isn’t a harmless activity. When was asbestos used in British homes? Asbestos was first used in British homes in about 1870. It was particularly popular from the 1950s to the 1980s,…
Read MoreHow to stop the fly-tipping of asbestos waste
Hardly a week goes by when there isn’t a report from somewhere in the UK about fly-tippers illegally dumping asbestos waste. Often it turns up close to footpaths or on country lanes. Sometimes it is even dumped at night in the middle of town and cities. Local residents are appalled and politicians vent their fury.…
Read MoreHow to campaign successfully to remove asbestos: on-line webinar, Friday 16 April 9.30am-1pm
Find out about the ongoing campaign to remove asbestos from buildings in the UK. We’ll tell you how you or your trade union can get involved. The speakers will explain the threat from asbestos in buildings and how it can be eradicated. There will be a break-out group about the campaign to remove asbestos from…
Read MoreHow much did the boss know?
People are sometimes appalled to discover that they were exposed to asbestos during their working life. But equally often, they will say, ‘We worked with asbestos all the time. No one knew any better in those days. We thought it was a safe material to use.’ Their manager, or the owner of the firm, may…
Read MoreAre there hidden dangers lurking in your make-up?
Talcum is a mineral which is often found alongside deposits of asbestos. When the talcum, or talc, is mined asbestos can be collected inadvertently at the same time. Any asbestos is supposed to be removed when the talc is refined into a powder. Where is talc used in cosmetics? Talc is commonly used as a…
Read MoreA Real and Present Danger From New Trade Negotiations
Trade negotiations are not just about imposing or removing tariffs. They are also about removing unnecessary barriers to trade. Asbestos Support Central England is concerned that, when we are negotiating new trade agreements, we will be asked to accept the same rules that apply in other countries. The implications for trade with the USA Asbestos…
Read MoreHow your gender affects your experience of mesothelioma
Working with Sheffield Univeristy and HASAG Asbestos Disease Support, the asbestos support group for London and the South-east, the charity Mesothelioma UK has published a new study of the ways your gender can affect your experience of mesothelioma. Differences in the work people have done Mesothelioma is often diagnosed after a person has retired, and…
Read MoreWolverhampton Company Tests a Way of Rendering Some Asbestos Harmless
Thermal Recycling in Wolverhampton received an Innovate UK ‘Smart Grant’ to develop a new method for turning asbestos roof sheets into a compound that can be safely used as aggregate for road building. The process involves ‘denaturing’ the asbestos. They have tested the kiln 200 times and hope to go into full production next year.…
Read More