Asbestos risk at Houses of Parliament

London, UK - A safety report has stated that MPs, employees and visitors to the Houses of Parliament may be at risk of asbestos exposure.

The study was produced by a health and safety consulting company based in London for the Parliamentary Works Service Directorate. The report detailed an investigation of the service shafts and piping ducts behind the committee rooms and chambers. Everyone who has been in the Palace of Westminster is warned that they may be facing dangers related to asbestos fiber inhalation.

The crew that surveyed the shaft was outfitted with protecting clothing and breathing apparatuses.

One serious problem they identified was that there was an access door to the asbestos-tainted shaft located next to the Commons kitchen which people often opened when the room got too hot. However, whenever this room was opened, air from the shaft rushed into the kitchen carrying with it asbestos fibers that became dispersed.

As the study carried on, more and more unsecured access doors were identified. Among the 20 samples taken last August from four service shafts, 11 of them tested positive for amosite. The substance, commonly known as brown asbestos, is one of the more deadly types of the cancer-causing material.

Members of Parliament have been aware of the presence of asbestos used as insulation material in the building for a while now. Following a survey conducted in 2005, they were reassured that the asbestos was not a health risk.

To receive a FREE Mesothelioma Web information packet** or to make a request, please fill out the following form :

**For a FREE information packet including treatments, clinical trials, and specialists, please complete the form above or call a Mesothelioma Web coordinator at 1-877-367-6376.

News

Resources

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here

If you would like to receive a FREE information packet or have questions about mesothelioma, call us at:

Toll-Free 1-877-367-6376