UK Research Shows Carpenters at High Risk for Mesothelioma
According to research published in the British Journal of Cancer, one in 17 carpenters born in the 1940s will die of mesothelioma. During the study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Health and Safety Executive, researchers, interviewed over 600 patients with mesothelioma and 1,400 healthy people to investigate rates of asbestos cancer linked with various occupations.
The researchers determined those men born in the 1940s and who worked as carpenters for longer than 10 years before the age of 30 are at high risk for mesothelioma. The risk was also high for plumbers, electricians, decorators (one in 50), and other construction workers (one in 125).
Additionally, researchers learned that the asbestos exposure also causes one case of asbestos lung cancer for every case of mesothelioma, making the overall risk for the carpenters in this group one in 10.
The study also showed that two-thirds of all British men and one-quarter of women had worked in professions that potentially involved asbestos exposure.
The study will continue into 2010, when results are released about the role of amosite causing mesothelioma in younger generations. Amosite, more commonly referred to as “brown” asbestos, is mined in South Africa and primarily used as a fire retardant in thermal insulation products.
Seoul City Announces Plans for Managing Asbestos
Buildings to be demolished in urban redevelopment projects in Seoul City, Korea will be managed by a comprehensive plan. The plan, which covers asbestos abatement, also includes:
- Citizens who monitor the entire process of removing and handling asbestos products and materials
- To ease the public concerns, disclosure of the process will be on the Internet
- An advisory group with expertise on asbestos removal and handling will be set up by the city
- Disclosure of an “asbestos map” of each building being demolished and how much asbestos it contains and where
- A supervisor must be hired to oversee the handling of asbestos at the demolition site and be responsible for the budget
Monitoring of the amount of asbestos in the air near the sites will be the Seoul City’s responsibility and if the amount exceeds a safe level the Labor Ministry must be notified. Asbestos removal plans are important when embarking upon any reconstruction or demolition in order to protect workers and passersby from exposure to asbestos. We commend Seoul City for their efforts to provide protection to those involved in these urban redevelopment projects from asbestos.
EPA Fines Arizona Charter School for Asbestos Violations
Another violation to the federal asbestos regulations has been discovered in Arizona. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Pointe Educational Services and The Charter Foundation $22,030 for violations stemming from lack of asbestos inspections on seven Arizona schools. Furthermore, the schools did not have an asbestos management plan.
After a professional asbestos inspection, only one of the seven Arizona schools had any asbestos-containing products.
It is important to comply with state and federal regulations regarding asbestos abatement and management in order to keep both workers and individuals safe from the dangers of asbestos exposure. More information on the EPA’s regulations on asbestos in schools can be found here.
Arizona County Hosting Free Asbestos Safety Seminar
Everyone working in the areas of construction, automotive manufacturing and repair, manufacturing plants, as well as safety professions such as firemen or health advocates needs to understand the dangers of asbestos.
To help raise awareness of how to recognize asbestos-containing products, how to safely work around asbestos, and how to properly dispose of it, the Environmental Information Association and Pinal County Air Quality Control District are sponsoring a free workshop.
Anyone attending the free seminar will learn about federal and state requirements for demolitions and renovations involving asbestos, dust control requirements and microbial/mold investigations, and sampling techniques. The details are:
Friday, October 16
8:00 am to 3:30 pm
Pinal County Complex
820 East Cottonwood Lane,
Conference Room of Building A
Casa Grande, AZ
Lunch will be provided.
Reservations required.
Contact Kale Walch at 520-866-6960
or kale.walch@pinalcountyaz.gov
or visit www.eia-as.org
Study Shows Sheet Metal Workers at Higher Risk for Asbestos Diseases
The 2009 August edition of The American Journal of Industrial Medicine published a new study showing that sheet metal workers are at a much higher risk of contracting asbestos diseases. The study confirms that workers with over 20 years in the trade are at high risk for mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis.
Most of the metal workers diagnosed with these diseases were exposed to asbestos prior to the 1980′s when little was done about asbestos exposure on the job or in the home. Sheet metal workers often came in contact with asbestos while working on ducts in the ceilings of buildings where it was used in ceiling tiles and fire-resistant beams.
Asbestos exposure has also been linked to diseases in miners, drywall installers, shipyard workers, and construction workers. Many workers do not find out that they have these diseases until their condition is advanced and little can be done.
Many workers are taking legal action against the sheet metal industry in order to receive financial support for their medical expenses. The full study results are available from Wiley InterScience, the publisher of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
