 |
|
|
The Greater Manchester Hazards Centre (GMHC) is concerned about reports of the testing for asbestos in the air around the old Turner Brothers asbestos factory, being carried out by Rochdale MBC ‘to reassure local residents’ about the risks to their health which the council think do not exist. We are concerned that the testing to be carried out is not sufficiently robust and technically appropriate to detect asbestos at level that presents a risk to people’s health.
GMHC has been working on this issue with Jason Addy and the Spodden valley campaign for over 11 years.
There is also regional, national and international network who have been monitoring the situation - members include the UK Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum, the national Hazards Campaign and the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat.
 Time and time again Jason and fellow campaigners have been vindicated with the concerns that they have raised.
The Save Spodden Valley Campaign has always taken care to ensure that comments and issues about asbestos can be fully substantiated and referenced to scientific literature.
The issues are complicated but the scientific principles regarding low level yet significant asbestos exposure are real and robust. All asbestos is carcinogenic and very small exposures can and do cause mesothelioma as confirmed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation.
For many years GMHC have attended TBA Working Party meetings - before they were unfortunately scrapped by Rochdale Council and argued for robust and specific testing. This was an opportunity for positive dialogue. It seems some of that trust and communication has now been lost.
The need for specific analytical techniques to detect environmental sources of asbestos fibre are different from standard industry test methods. For almost 10 years we have been citing the work of Edinburgh based Occupational Hygienist Robin Howie on these very points. It is astonishing that our input seems to have been ignored by Rochdale Council.
11 ½ years on and it seems very little has been achieved and the people of Rochdale are still potentially exposed to asbestos and a safe solution to the problem of the site is no nearer.
Source: GHMC
|
|
|
Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services
|
