Asbestos

andybrown_10 · 31-10-2008, 16:19

There's been a new government campaign on it recently, what's everyone elses view on this, and why wasn't it made more public years ago?

jaysay · 01-11-2008, 10:13

Having worked with asbestos extensively during the sixties and seventies, no one knew the dangers of this material. It was first highlighted in the late seventies that there maybe a heath risk with this product. Its much like smoking, no one thought about the health risks when I was young. The Government and the health and safety have been telling people for years about the dangers of asbestos, the reason it isn't air regularly is it is not used anymore, it only comes up when it is found in old buildings, and the danger aspects are brought to the fore

cashman · 01-11-2008, 12:00

like jaysay i worked with asbestos/ asbestolux in the early 70s, definately was not aware of the dangers as worked with no mask,no extraction, a friend who worked somewhere else from leaving school until retirement has been suffering from the effect of it fer a few years now, the firm say he must have got it somewhere else.yeh right.

also i think,that some knew way back the dangers of asbestos, but suppressed the info, same as the tobacco barons.

MargaretR · 01-11-2008, 12:18

A friend of mine has a husband who has asbestosis, which he got during years as a maintenance fitter for CEGB Huncoat Power Station.

They had a long stressful battle to get compen, and eventually settled out of court.
His case was stronger than some because he has never smoked cigarettes, so his breathing problems cannot be partly blamed on smoking.

The problem arises because decades can elapse between exposure and symptoms.

katex · 01-11-2008, 12:24

Weren't they doing a check of schools Andy ?

MargaretR · 01-11-2008, 12:31

It has hit the news because some nurses have got it from working in a hospital that still had some asbestos in the building structure.

I once identified some in the ladies toilets in Melbourne House - an incinerator flue pipe - there was a great deal of security and safety precautions required to have it removed.

Benipete · 01-11-2008, 13:46

I think at one time it was woven into handkerchiefs and table cloths.

Neil · 01-11-2008, 14:21

I recently ish disposed of quite a bit of asbestos guttering from my garage. My garage roof is still made of asbestos as are many.

jaysay · 01-11-2008, 14:51

When I worked for Pilkingtons in the early seventies they had a contract with the government to supply garages for disability cars, (those little blue three wheelers) which were made from steel frames covered with asbestos, we also use to do a lot of maintenance work at Blythes, all the roofs were covered in the stuff