Underground Travel Risk On the Asbestos Line?

March 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Asbestos awareness to the widespread use of asbestos as an inexpensive insulator and fire retardant during the twentieth century was recently raised once again by a recent report of asbestos fibre being present everywhere across the entire London Underground network. Specific problem spots are said to be located at the eastern end of the Central line, running along the tunnel walls from Mile End station.

Asbestos fibre was incorporated into an endless number of products serving the UK’s manufacturing, engineering and building industries, during the peak use years until legislation attempted to restrict and eventually ban brown amosite and blue crocidolite asbestos towards the latter 1970s and 80s. However, white chrysotile asbestos could still find its way into items such as insulating wallboard, linings, cement and applied surface coatings until a final ban was introduced in 1998.

Formerly opened in the summer of 1900, the Central Line, was continually developed. Following proposals from 1935 onwards, the eastern branch opened in December 1946, reaching as far as Stratford and extending to Epping and Ongar from 1949 to the mid 1950s. Throughout this period asbestos was still very much in use on the railways and in the automotive and shipbuilding industries.

In aging parts of the Underground system containing equally worn and friable ( fragile and deteriorating) asbestos, a real health risk could be posed by exposure. Airborne asbestos fibres are easily inhaled and once embedded in the linings of the lungs (pleura), can eventually cause asbestosis disease or the fatal, incurable mesothelioma cancer.

Unfortunately, a lengthy gestation period of up to 50 years often means the first asbestosis symptoms of the deadly disease may not emerge until a very late stage when a patient’s survival from confirmed diagnosis is typically less than 6 months.

It has been claimed that because of the “time, expense and disruption” involved in a safe and proper removal procedure, London Underground has simply covered over the asbestos with encapsulating paint, which could easily chip off and expose the deadly fibres.

However, Transport for London ( TfL) have stated that passengers and staff "are not at risk from exposure to asbestos fibres when travelling on the Underground", and have established "robust" controls as required by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

While taking "every opportunity" to remove asbestos, advance warning with health and safety training procedures are said to be in place when asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are likely to be encountered, aimed to prevent and manage asbestos disturbance.

According to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) more than 1.8 million people are annually exposed to asbestos with at least 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed every year. It is forecast that 5,000 people will die from asbestos exposure each year by 2015 and a further 45,000 mesothelioma deaths can be expected by 2050.

Visit http://www.asbestosvictimadvice.com for more information and advice.

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