8 minute read
Bylaugh Park Woods asbestos survey
Bylaugh Park Woods asbestos
survey by Nick Davenport
One of our valued clients asked if we could quote to survey 44 buildings erected on a site requisitioned by the RAF in WWII. After the RAF left in 1948 the buildings were mostly abandoned, with some briefly used to house chickens. They have now been empty for more than 30 years, however.
The site covered roughly 15 acres with the buildings spread throughout. They were mainly asbestos huts (this style of building was introduced in 1942) and as you can imagine, they were in all states of decay where the forest was slowly breaking them up.
We arranged a site visit as the job was unique and we wouldn’t have been able to price fairly from plans, photos or descriptions. After the visit, we presented our quote, which was accepted not long after. As the survey manager, I was delighted to have won the job because ones like it don’t come up that often.
We carried out the survey over a five-day period, and in that time we discovered a further five buildings that the client didn’t know were there.
Anglian’s survey team surveyed each building, highlighting asbestos cement in situ and debris throughout the forest and pipe insulation. Of the 281 samples taken on site, 98% came back containing asbestos.
We have now issued all reports for this client and have now been instructed to present a quotation for the removal of all asbestos containing materials on the site, which we are now in the process of doing.
The survey team was Wayne Bemrose and Olly Budd (trainee).
Dr Yvonne Waterman, LLM, MFAAM, President of the European Asbestos Forum
Asbestos: the state of the art
From time to time, people ask me if ‘asbestos is very boring’. Whenever that happens, I try not to swallow my tongue from indignation and answer negatively. To me, asbestos is about prevention and saving lives (first and foremost), achieving justice, raising awareness for the need for safe work and living places, caring for the environment and a host of other important reasons; and what’s dull about any of that? All of them are jobs that need doing; and all of them are jobs that need all of us.
A maze
Getting on just a bit now, I’ve seen a lot of change over the years. After an asbestos conference in the Canadian parliament some twenty years ago, I remember an English professor of epidemiology telling me in a hotel bar that research into finding a cure or treatment for mesothelioma was a complete waste of time and money. I was very indignant about that.
Time and immunotherapy have proven him wrong, as the universally adored Mavis Nye demonstrates in person. Granted it requires a global scientific effort like going to the moon – again, it takes all of us – but slowly but surely, we are getting there and making many scientific advances along the way. Finding a cure or treatment is like wandering through a huge maze: there are a lot of scientific wrong turns to take before we will find the right one. But with patience, perseverance
and dedication, eventually we will and gain much insight as we struggle forwards.
I see the same developments with many other issues relating to asbestos, be they medical, technical, microscopic, legal, policy, awareness etc. They are improving over time with better understanding, perseverance and dedication. They are literally making the world a better, safer, healthier place. I keep a global eye out for such developments and feel very privileged to do so – it’s anything but boring and wonderful to share.
EU Resolution: also relevant for you
A huge stride in this regard was made in the late autumn of 2021 by the European Parliament, when a resolution on asbestos was voted in almost unanimously. A resolution is basically a big fat hint to the European Commission to get busy with a new Directive, which in turn will be transposed into all the member states’ legislation; it is not legislation as such.
Writing for an English magazine, I almost fear to use the term EU, but this really is relevant to you too. Anything relating to new science that is beneficial to EU lungs is beneficial to English lungs and it is up to you to do what you will that knowledge, legislatively or otherwise. My point is that in order to keep up, it is good to know what the state of the art is – regardless of borders and sectors. Yes, that is the EAF’s motto. Sharing makes us stronger; no need for each country to laboriously reinvent the wheel. When it comes to asbestos, we just don’t have the time for that. Time equals lives.
You can find this resolution – essentially an extensive wish list of bright ideas on a wide variety of asbestos related topics – at www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/ document/A-9-2021-0275_EN.html. The resolution is tied in with an EU policy on improving old buildings and making them safer and healthier: the ‘Renovation Wave for Europe’ (2020). One particularly important point (no. 40) concerns the limit value of asbestos exposure – a reduction to 1,000 fibres per cubic metre. Challenging, to say the least, but entirely possible too. Think how many lives this could save in the workplace, how many needless deaths could be prevented if this one item of the resolution can be achieved across the EU, or better still the whole of Europe. Going to work should never be a grave decision.
Challenging, because it will require considerably higher levels of preventive measures and riskmanagement of asbestos-related risks. In turn, this will cause a wave of innovations, best practices and much more awareness of asbestos health dangers. In its wake, just think how many factories, offices, schools and houses will become safer; what a wonderful legacy for future generations this can be. And this is just one point of the resolution.
Working hard on the EAF conference
Gearing up for the fifth international conference of the European Asbestos Forum (11/11/2022, Amsterdam), I was thinking of a suitable red line throughout the programme, a main topic for the event if you will. Well, guess what: The State of the Art. Expect the newest and the best.
5th European Asbestos Forum Conference ‘Asbestos & The State Of The Art’
10-11 November 2022, Amsterdam
Save the date! Further announcements to follow soon.
ASBESTONOMY 22
Asbestonomy 22 is the first international event related to asbestos challenges. The main objective is to create a strong community to better protect our people and raise standards around the world.
Asbestos is a global issue that we need to tackle together – at whichever phase of elimination we are, from countries that have not banned asbestos yet to countries that implement the strictest regulations and standards.
On the eve of a new European asbestos directive to protect workers, there is a real need to tackle asbestos issues right now. In 2021 approximately 90,000 people died from asbestos related diseases globally and asbestos exposure is the number one cause of work-related deaths in the world.
Created by Cédille, a company specialising in professional events, e.g. Asbestos Professionals Event – with 2,000 visitors per show in Paris. The first show will be held in London on the 16th and 17th of June 2022, hosted at the ILEC Conference Centre.
Asbestonomy will start in the evening of the 16th with a welcome party before getting to the heart of the challenge the day after with a rich programme. Amazing keynote speakers have been announced and the whole asbestos life cycle will be covered.
Asbestos state of art – where are we now?
Updates on how the European Parliament works on protecting workers from asbestos; Zoom on the best asbestos management practices; analyses of gaps between countries and opening to worldwide cohesion from MEP Nikolaj Villumsen in charge of the new European Asbestos Directive, Charles Pickles, Yvonne Waterman and Sven de Mulder.
Asbestos Detection – The first step
Zoom on the exposure and toxicology due to asbestos, open debate on the necessity to detect and count all the fibres and not only WHO fibres (thin and short fibres). Presentation of analysis techniques around the world (PCM, SEM, TEM), disagreement between countries and recommendations. What should we follow? From Martine Chouvet, Sean Fitzgerald and Michele Rocchetto – all are confirmed world specialists in asbestos detection and analytical techniques.
ACM Digital Management – Once detected, how should we manage asbestos in situ?
Now that asbestos has been detected, and that we live in a digital environment, how do we use digital to manage better ACM in situ, raise awareness and communication? From Simone Stevenson, Benoît Lanlard, Andrew Paten and Santiago Jiminez.
Last but not least – ACM removal and waste innovation
State-of-art of the different techniques and innovations in asbestos removal and waste management, to ensure the workers' protection and the end of life of asbestos. From Hugo Rosati, who will be speaking about robotics and innovative equipment within the asbestos removal industry.
More speakers are planned to be announced.
Thus, if you are in the asbestos industry, it will be a day you cannot miss, to share with your peers, be aware of the latest updates, best practices and to develop your skills!
Be careful, the numbers of places are limited. To secure your tickets, rapidly go to www.asbestonomy.com or find their LinkedIn page.
