[White asbestos] Retraction Of The Decade

From AsbestosWatchdog*:

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.

The ASA, after an initial investigation, were satisfied that this was a commercial advertising campaign and not a government information promotion. The ASA asked us to provide evidence to support our complaint and below is the text of our submission using only HSE statistics...

Two pages of evidence follow, the highlights of which are this:

1. ... the main reason for our complaint is that 4000 deaths [or up to 5000 as claimed by the TUC] do NOT occur each year from asbestos related disease in the UK. The basis for the HSE to make this claim is a series of calculations contrived from a theoretical model based on a [linear] extrapolation that includes totally wrong data. The formula below is used by the HSE to justify the basis for the 4000 estimated deaths and 90% of the information in this formula is grossly inaccurate or just plain wrong.


2. A chart showing the relative nastiness of blue asbestos (somewhere up there with plutonium); brown asbestos (steer well clear) and white asbestos (perfectly safe once behind a coating of plaster and a couple of coats of paint; either way, it's better to leave well alone than to try and chisel it out again).

In conclusion:

The HSE spent 9 months sending all [their] evidence and the ASA was not persuaded as to its accuracy and upheld all 5 of our complaints.

* Thanks to Bayard for the tip-off.

"Workmen ignoring asbestos risk"

Today's award for Perpetuating Myths goes to this BBC article, as it fails to point out the difference between blue and brown asbestos (very dangerous) and white asbestos (relatively harmless); or that 95% of asbestos used in buildings is of the white variety (Wiki).

The only redeeming bit is right at the end, "... the HSE stresses that asbestos which is sealed and in good condition rarely poses a risk unless it is disturbed", so think about that next time you hear that a building has been closed to enable a specialist asbestos removal company do its worst.

UPDATE: GS has provided an even better link in the comments. There is an important economics point here; notwithstanding that white asbestos removal is a waste of time and money, it is not sufficient for lobbyists to have regulations to create business for them; successful lobbyists also need barriers to entry, or else the extra profits would just be competed away by new entrants. The clue is here: "... shameless exploitation by many of the firms to which the HSE gave the exclusive right to handle asbestos." As and when the victims complain about the scam, the lobbyists shed crocodile tears and suggest that the victims be given subsidies to help them pay for the 'service', boosting the lobbyists' incomes even further ...

"Many workers asbestos ignorant"

"Many journalists* asbestos ignorant", more like.

Let's recap briefly; white asbestos is relatively harmless**, especially when hidden behind plaster or within walls. As against blue and brown asbestos which are chemically quite different, absolutely carcinogenic and have been banned in many countries for decades, e.g. they were banned in the UK in 1985.

* With the honourable exception of Christopher Booker, of course.

** When I was a kid, most garages were made out a simple frame with white asbestos walls and roof, many still are AFAIAA. If it were that terrible, we'd all be dead by now, surely?

*** Rather surprisingly, the British Lung Foundation does not appear to be State-funded (unless I've missed something), but it does manage to blow 40% of its income on fundraising and admin costs.

EU F***wittery and Child cruelty

There was a fine article in this morning's Metro (no link) about a girl whose parents drag all the way from Kent to Sheffield once a week to train for the Olympics diving competition, her local pool having been closed because 'asbestos was found in the roof'.

Point 1 is that her parents ought to be done for child cruelty.

Point 2 is that this is almost certainly white asbestos, which is nigh harmless, especially if it's encased in something else, as Christopher Booker has been pointing out for years. As opposed to blue or brown asbestos, which are real killers.

But, as we know, the EU is in fact 31,000 bureaucrats who churn out directives at the behest of industry lobby groups, which is pretty much mirrored in the machinations at UK level. So, in this instance, a totally artifical market has been created in 'asbestos removal', all in the name of Elfin Safety.

Bastards.