Asbestos: Hidden killer and global problem

Barely had the dust settled on this year’s Global Asbestos Awareness Week back in April than the discussions began on its effectiveness. It may not have made national front pages, but UKATA strongly supports the campaign. It may not attract wall-to-wall media interest, but if revelations coming out of the US with regard to asbestos fears post 9/11 don’t change public and media perceptions about this hidden killer, it will remain a global problem for the foreseeable future.

Asbestos remains the biggest cause of work related deaths in the UK and with legacy issues in this country, and indeed throughout the world, this figure is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, as people develop asbestos related diseases like mesothelioma up to 30 years or even longer after initial exposure.

Death rates tend to be split between those working directly with asbestos and failing to take the proper precautions and those suffering as a result of indirect exposure, such as teachers, surveyors, architects and even the families of untrained tradesmen who have unwittingly carried asbestos home on their clothing. Yet in the US, the aftermath of 9/11 has created a worrying, new area of concern and new impetus to issues surrounding legacy asbestos present in buildings.

When construction began on the World Trade Centre in 1966, asbestos was still widely used in building and construction materials. Asbestos is usually not harmful unless disturbed and the dust is breathed in – and while we all know the twin towers collapsed, what is less well known is that New Yorkers were exposed to an estimated 400 tons of asbestos dust in the aftermath.

The singer and New York resident Donna Summer attributed the lung cancer that led to her death to this asbestos-carrying dust cloud, but as asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop (and have no cure), the death toll from this dust cloud could ultimately prove greater than from the initial terrorist attack. Estimates suggest some 410,000 people could have been exposed, with those who bravely risked their lives rescuing survivors in the greatest danger of developing asbestos-related illnesses.

Some 2753 death certificates were filed in the aftermath of 9/11. Donna Summer is a high profile example of a post event victim, but there are others whose tragic stories have not been widely reported. Leon Heyward’s development of lymphoma was ascribed to dust ingested post 9/11 and Jerry Borg’s death from pulmonary sarcoidosis was explained by 9/11 dust. It is highly unlikely these two men will be the last victims.

This horrifying story affects the debate on asbestos in the UK and throughout the world. Asbestos not being harmful unless disturbed has informed the debate for leaving asbestos in situ unless it poses a credible threat. What we have all failed to take into account is asbestos fibres being released or disturbed unexpectedly. A terrorist action is an extreme example, when something as mundane as a gas explosion or structural failure could deliver a similar result.

Asbestos is present in so many public buildings and schools in the UK – this is far from a scare story but a very real concern. The picture is even more serious overseas. Much of the developing world continues to use asbestos in building materials at an alarming rate and one has only to think of the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in April last year that claimed 1100 workers' lives to see the risks are even more acute in those countries where less priority is given to health and safety.

Despite the health concerns, many countries continue to mine and use asbestos in huge quantities, so much so, that the popularity of asbestos in the developing world is actually accelerating, fuelled by demand for cheap, mass produced building materials. China remains by far the world’s biggest consumer of asbestos, using an astonishing 626,000 metric tons of it in 2007 alone, followed closely by India. Given the population of the sub-continent is over one billion people, potentially huge health problems lay ahead should anyone be exposed to this asbestos in dust form.

Here in the UK, the situation is better, but we continue to pay the price for the years of higher exposure to asbestos in the past and the risks associated with its presence in so many buildings. More than 1.5 million buildings in the UK may still contain asbestos nationwide – a real headache for those tasked with managing and maintaining buildings with this unwanted 100 year legacy and those training people to handle this killer substance safely.

What can be done? Sadly, with no easy answers, knowledge and training remain our best defence. I was working with a local company removing asbestos from the Twin Towers in 1988-89, supplying them with portable decontamination systems. The 70th floor of The World Trade Centre was home to the plant room and this contained spray coated asbestos and while we were able to remove this, asbestos was present in too many of the materials used in the very fabric of the building to remove it completely. With asbestos present in 70% of UK buildings, we face a similar dilemma. It is not feasible to remove it all because in some cases, this would mean removing the building itself. But this doesn’t mean we are powerless. What we can do is ensure everyone has the training to respond appropriately should the worst happen.

New Yorkers on the ground during 9/11 were at risk should the towers collapse and had a plan been in place to warn people of the risk, not just from the building collapse, but from the resulting dust cloud, the health of thousands more could have been saved. The event itself was appalling an unthinkable and, arguably, unpredictable – but it does serve to show that the unthinkable can and does happen. Not all of these things can be anticipated or prevented, but we can be ready for any eventuality. When it comes to asbestos, safe it better than sorry. There have been recent cases in Canada when fire crews have gone into buildings uncertain if asbestos is present. 

It is a legal requirement in the UK for premises, (other than domestic properties such as houses), to make the presence of asbestos known to the Emergency Services. This information needs to form part of a holistic approach to nationwide asbestos management plans and training.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, any duty holder of non-domestic premises has a duty to manage asbestos present in order to protect others who may be required to work in such premises. This includes the Emergency Services who may need to gain access in order to deal with an emergency. If you have not registered, you are breaking the law. The HSE website offers comprehensive advice on asbestos-related law and will show you where you need to register if you have not done so.

Those responsible must have all the information they needed to make safe choices. With or without this, the only option left is training. UKATA exists to set and verify standards and to emphasise the importance of best practice in training when it comes to the safe handling, removal and disposal of asbestos. Only by raising awareness of this hidden killer can we hope to succeed against it.

Tasked by the HSE in 2008 for taking-on, managing and developing the list of training providers for licensed asbestos work in the UK, UKATA is now the leading authority in all levels of asbestos training in the UK.