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The news that asbestos fibres have been found in the House of Commons may bring a personal note to the debates on industrial diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and especially pleural plaques, the subject of much current interest.
A detailed examination of various service ducts around the 170-year-old building revealed what were described as "significant dangers" to all people who used the space - MPs, employees and visitors.
The doors to these ducts had a history of being unsealed and thus allowing the potentially deadly fibres to escape. One email from an investigator said, "the Palace of Westminster authorities may wish to consider whether or not they have taken adequate steps to protect employees and visitors from exposure to asbestos fibres in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006."
The substance is not uncommon in older buildings, and need not be removed if it can be made safe; the issue here is whether it has, in fact, been made safe.
If not, those who have been exposed to the fibres could face an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, which has an incubation period of many years, or pleural plaques, the condition under discussion following a recent court ruling that it was no longer deserving of a compensation claim.
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