As a nurse, Helen has spent her life in hospitals — all containing asbestos, perhaps in ceilings, walls, floors, pipework, just about anywhere.
July 5 — the day after the General Election — is Action Mesothelioma Day. Of course, an incoming government faces a challenging 'to do' list of competing priorities, from the economy and national security to the NHS and migration. The purported safety of 'undisturbed' asbestos in our schools, hospitals and social housing is the biggest lie in public life. A lie that has already claimed thousands of lives and which will claim thousands more if action is not taken.
By 2017 we were a global leader in hazard management, advising on everything from legionella to radiation. But no matter how hard we tried, we could not get policymakers to take desperately needed legislative action on asbestos. As a nurse, Helen has spent her life in hospitals — all containing asbestos, perhaps in ceilings, walls, floors, pipework, just about anywhere
The first issue is that mesothelioma has a latency period of up to 40 years. Of the tens of thousands diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses each year, their exposure dates back decades, making it very difficult to prove cause and effect. They have lived their lives unaware of the ticking time bomb inside them.
The third and perhaps most crucial reason why asbestos is not taken sufficiently seriously in this country is the myth — perpetuated by the HSE — that undisturbed asbestos is 'safe'.