Just over a month ago, Asbestos Watchdog had a minor breakthrough with the Advertising Standards Authority:
The Advertising Standards Authority [ASA] have recently upheld our complaint about the HSE’s massive advertising campaign claiming that asbestos kills 4500 workers every year. That was further refined to claim that 9 plumbers, 9 carpenters, and 9 electricians will die every week from asbestos exposure. The HSE must now stop making these exaggerated claims...
Lo and behold, the Elfin Safety Executive have relaunched their Hidden Killer campaign spouting the same old misleading crap.
Their advert in today's Metro shamelessly states that "Estimates show that each week approximately 20 tradesmen die from this hidden killer ... Asbestos is responsible for an estimated 4000 deaths every year, and it could be hiding in anything built or refurbished before the year 2000. Protect yourself."
So they've rounded 27 a week down to 20 and 4,500 down to 4,000, big deal. The numbers don't even stack up, as 52 times 20 is 1,040, which falls far short of 4,000. Sure, workmen would be well advised to wear face-masks when working in a dusty environment, and have it ventilated properly etc., but for the zillionth time, white asbestos dust is no more harmful than any other kind of dust.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
If at first you don't succeed; lie, lie again
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3 comments:
And just try getting rid of the stuff. There is just one authority in London who will do so, and they only take 11sq metres, after that you pay. Additionally, they won't touch it unless it has been wrapped in polythene ... bought, and applied, by you.
There are some woods near here, though.
Slight maths prob there.
I remember those ads, some of the many that cause an immediate " switch station " response to government hectoring.
State created non-problem for the benefit of their mates in the hazardous waste removal industry,
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