Reports are circulating that Queen Elizabeth and her family may soon have to vacate Buckingham Palace to make way for 150 million pounds' worth of repair work. The cause? Asbestos, among other issues.
According to The Times, the Royal Family has spent £300,000 on asbestos removal in the past year, and yet "vast swathes of the palace still require asbestos to be removed from the walls and other cavaties". The palace also need a new heating system (this alone could cost upwards of £1 million), along with a whole lot of long-overdue maintenance and repair work.
Still, it's the asbestos that's clinching the headlines...
...and it's not hard to see why. We tend to imagine that asbestos only exists in run-down buildings that haven't been used since the 1980s, but deep down, we know that this isn't the case - earlier this year, we told you that asbestos is still present in a shocking 86% of UK schools, and the news about Buckingham Palace further demonstrates that asbestos really can be found everywhere.
And that's quite a scary thought. Asbestos has been banned more or less outright since 1999, and with good reason: it's a severe health hazard that can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, and several other life-threating illnesses. Asbestos-related diseases claim many thousands of lives every year, from tradespeople to schoolteachers, and health and safety authorities are still struggling to bring the death toll down.
With all of this in mind, here are a few quick guidelines for dealing with asbestos on your premises. Perhaps Her Majesty might find them useful?
- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE ASBESTOS YOURSELF. Asbestos removal should only be carried out by qualified professionals with the appropriate protective equipment.
- Asbestos is safer when left undisturbed - STAY AWAY FROM ASBESTOS and ENSURE THAT OTHERS DO THE SAME. We recommend using asbestos signs to identify the hazard, and warning tape to keep people away from the affected area.
- DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Asbestos is a serious health risk even when left alone, so don't just forget about it once it's been cordoned off - call in a professional to get rid of it (don't worry, it probably won't cost £300,000...unless you live in a palace!)
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