Neil Munro
A few weeks ago, we read an interesting editorial about concerns that water supplies in America and Canada may contain asbestos. The opinion piece appeared in The Altamont Enterprise in Albany County, New York, and was called We shouldn’t play Russian roulette with our water supply. It raised concerns about a water main break in … Read more
This month it is 20 years since Acorn Analytical Services director Ian Stone first entered the asbestos industry. We caught up with Ian to find out how his career in the asbestos industry began and what changes he has seen along the way. Ian, what made you want to join the asbestos industry? When I … Read more
How often do you wonder if you’re at risk from asbestos at home? It’s probably not something that many people think about in their daily lives but frighteningly homes up and down the UK are riddled with asbestos. Asbestos can be found in a surprisingly high number of places throughout our homes, including in ceilings, … Read more
Earlier this year we launched a hard-hitting campaign to raise awareness about the issue of asbestos in schools. Shockingly, in some of our cities and towns, more than 80% of schools have an asbestos problem and every year hundreds of people die here after being exposed to asbestos in schools as children. There have also … Read more
At Acorn Analytical Services, we are all too well aware that asbestos in the workplace can kill if it is not managed properly. This Sunday, our staff – along with millions of other people across the UK – will stop what they’re doing and observe a minute’s silence to mark National Workplace Day of Remembrance … Read more
Every week construction workers in the UK are dying from lung disease because they have inhaled hazardous substances at work. The seriousness of the situation prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to deliver an awareness campaign during recent weeks whilst its inspectors carried out health-related site inspections. Construction workers have a high risk of … Read more
A case has come to light in the past few weeks which shows why asbestos surveys are so important. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published the details of a court case concerning a construction company which was fined after employees were exposed to asbestos. MS Properties (Northern) Ltd has been fined for safety … Read more
If organisations need reminding what damage even the threat of asbestos contamination can do to their business, they don’t need to look further than an incident which happened recently in Australia. A couple of weeks ago, hundreds of workers walked out on the $3.6bn Queen’s Wharf redevelopment in Brisbane because they were concerned that materials … Read more
When you think of the upcoming October half-term holiday, asbestos surveys and asbestos-related works might not be the first thing that spring to mind. Fortunately, many schools and colleges wisely choose to use their breaks to get on top of their asbestos issues by organising asbestos surveys or carrying out works which – without the … Read more
Did you know that the UK has a significant problem with asbestos in schools? More than two decades since the use of asbestos was banned in the UK, it’s estimated that eight out of 10 of our schools still contain the deadly substance. Throughout the 20th century, asbestos was used frequently by our construction industry, … Read more