Scottish lawyer warns that spending cuts must not affect asbestos investigations
21/09/2010
A leading Scottish lawyer has claimed that forthcoming cuts in public spending should not be allowed to impact the ongoing work to make Scotland’s workplaces and public places free from asbestos and prevent future deaths from this harmful material.
Elaine Russell, partner at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, is warning that councils would be wrong to ignore the essential surveying and maintenance work needed to limit the devastating effects of asbestos materials in and around Scottish workplaces.
She claimed that it would be easy for local authorities to consider such work as an area in which budgets can be cut, but has instead asked for reassurances that authorities will continue to deal with this "silent killer", which can kill people decades after initial exposure
"Asbestos exposure is typically associated with industry but sadly the number of people from other sectors who are developing the disease is increasing all the time," said Ms Russell
"We have handled a number of clients nationally who had no idea, right up until their diagnosis, that they had been exposed to asbestos. Many were doctors, nurses or teachers, who have been put at risk by the use of the material in the public buildings in which they worked."
The warning came after a prominent Glaswegian doctor passed away at the age of 58, just 14 months after being diagnosed with mesothelioma – a form of cancer that was caused by exposure to asbestos in the hospitals where he worked.
Dr Kieran Sweeney had worked at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Southern General Infirmary during the late 1970s. There he encountered dust and debris from asbestos pipe lagging which, 30 years later in December 2009, caused his premature death.
Russell added: "Sadly we have every reason to believe that the incidence of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer cases will rise further and medical experts expect numbers to peak by around the year 2015. Even more worryingly, mesothelioma is now increasingly claiming younger victims in a wider range of occupations, including hospital staff.
"My worry is that with public spending facing major reductions, councils could ease up their efforts to tackle this silent killer. Local authorities cannot neglect their responsibility and must continue to dedicate resources to identifying and eliminating any remaining sources of asbestos, in order to prevent further tragic deaths, like that of Dr Sweeney."
Back to news