News Archive

On November 24, 2025 it was announced that a legal action had been initiated against the Home Secretary over the asbestos-related death of MP Alice Mahon. Ms. Mahon had been exposed to asbestos at Northowram Hospital where she worked as a nurse between 1959 and 1966 and again in the 1970s and to asbestos-containing material in Parliament during her tenure as the MP for Halifax from 1987 to 2005. She died of mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure, on December 25, 2022, aged 85. Ms. Mahon was survived by two sons and five grandchildren, on whose behalf the claim was being brought. See: Bradford-born former MP now at centre of high court cancer claim.

MOD Condemned by Palermo Court

Dec 1, 2025

Last month, the Court of Palermo issued the final verdict on a case brought by the family of a helicopter pilot from the Italian Air Force who died aged 60 from renal cancer caused by asbestos exposure experienced during his military service. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) was ordered to pay compensation of €900,000 (US$1.04m) for having failed to “guarantee the standards of prevention and protection required” to keep the deceased safe from workplace asbestos exposures. See: Ali di amianto in aeronautica – tribunale di Palerma condanna la difesa per morte di un elicotterista – 900mila euro ai familiari [Asbestos wings in aviation – Palermo court condemns defense in helicopter pilot’s death – €900,000 to family].

Asbestos: The Unknown Killer

Dec 1, 2025

There is, said the author of the article cited below, a widespread lack of awareness about the asbestos hazard in Togo. According to an independent 2024 study, 87.5% of Togolese people had “never heard of this highly carcinogenic mineral…” Many buildings in the country still contain asbestos despite the December 3, 1997 Presidential Decree which prohibited “the use of asbestos-containing materials in public works and buildings.” The use of asbestos and the health and economic consequences of this use remain “largely under-documented” in sub-Saharan Africa. See: L’amiante au Togo, un risque majeur encore largement méconnu [Asbestos in Togo: A Major Risk Still Largely Unrecognized].

The Air They Breathe

Dec 1, 2025

In the aftermath of the latest ceasefire, Palestinians returned to the sites where their homes had once been to find destruction and devastation. The dangers they currently face are colossal including the air they breathe which is, according to UN data, likely to be contaminated with asbestos. The decimation of Gaza’s built environment created 60 million tons of rubble, much of which contained asbestos “broken into fine dust that lingers in the air.” Environmental scientist Dr. Abdul Fattah Abdul Rabbo warned Gazans: “The danger is suspended in the air. Without protective gear, the risk is far higher than people realize.” See: “Asbestos”… Silent Killer in Gaza’s Rubble.

Large Hailstones: More Airborne Asbestos

Dec 1, 2025

Research undertaken by personnel from Austria’s Centre for Natural Disaster Prevention, which was reported by the Greek media, highlighted the increased asbestos risk posed by climate change such as the damage caused by larger than usual hailstones which are increasingly common. When these larger projectiles crash into asbestos-cement roofs at a speed of 140 km/h the tiles “release much larger amounts of asbestos fibers than previously thought… concentrations of up to 200,000 fibers per cubic meter” were found. See: Ο κίνδυνος από τον αμίαντο λόγω ζημιών από χαλάζι μεγαλύτερος από ποτέ [The risk from asbestos due to hail damage is greater than ever].

HSE Asbestos Mortality Data: Update

Dec 1, 2025

Data released in November 2025 by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) noted that 20% of the 11,000 deaths caused by occupational lung diseases had been the result of workplace asbestos exposures. According to the latest HSE asbestos mortality data, reported in July, 2025, there are about 5,000 deaths every year in the UK from asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. See: HSE publishes annual workplace health and safety statistics.

Asbestos Contamination from China

Nov 28, 2025

Following hot on the heels of the discovery of asbestos in colored sand products used by children in Australia and New Zealand, came news that asbestos has been found in lift brake pads used across Australia by the energy company Goldwind Australia, a subsidiary of Chinese firm Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co. Ltd. The brake pads were sourced from 3S Industry, a major Chinese-based supplier to Australia. According to a Goldwind spokesperson: “A comprehensive material and air testing program is underway to check for asbestos in other spare brake pads and in wind turbines.” See: Asbestos found in wind farm lift brake pads prompts safety response.

Asbestos in Schools

Nov 28, 2025

On November 19, 2025, a coalition of concerned parents, teachers and staff filed a complaint over the asbestos contamination of 12 Marseille schools which constituted, they alleged, a “deliberate endangerment of the lives of others.” The petitioners were supported by 7 trade unions and 3 asbestos victims’ associations. It is believed that 80+% of French schools still contain asbestos, a substance banned in 1997. See: France/Amiante: plus de 50 personnes et syndicats portent plainte à Marseille [France/Asbestos: more than 50 people and unions file a complaint in Marseille].

Prosecution of Asbestos Fly-tipping

Nov 28, 2025

The illegal dumping of asbestos-containing building rubble and other construction waste was reported by the Volga Interregional Environmental Prosecutor's Office, Russia. The fly-tipping took place in the Alekseevsky ravine on the territory of the Kumysnaya Polyana nature preserve. The details of the case were under consideration by the investigating authority as per the provisions of Article 262 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. See: Aсбест, бетон, гипс, арматура: на «Кумысной поляне» устроили свалку, ущерб превысил 86 миллионов [Asbestos, concrete, gypsum, rebar: [illegal] landfill at Kumysnaya Polyana, the damage exceeded 86 million].

Fallout from Asbestos Scandal

Nov 28, 2025

Last week, officials from New Zealand’s Ministry of Education told schools that it was their responsibility to remediate premises where asbestos-contaminated sand had been used. Taking exception to this position the President of the NZEI Te Riu Roa – the “most powerful education union” in New Zealand – Ripeka Lessels said: “Not only is this a question of budget deficits, more importantly, it may divert funding away from essential supports to learning.” Principal Lynda Stuart of May Road School agreed: “The ministry should pay for remediation. Instead, they are leaving us in the lurch and making us deal with it all.” See: Union calls for government to cover costs of removing asbestos-tainted sand from schools.

Unions Call for Urgent Action

Nov 28, 2025

On November 21, 2025 Australian trade unions called “for an urgent overhaul of national asbestos health and safety laws to force employers to remove asbestos-containing materials from Australian workplaces, including schools.” Without such measures, the continued presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material throughout the educational infrastructure would continue to cause deaths for decades to come. “Employers nationwide should,” said ACTU Assistant Secretary, Liam O’Brien “be required to develop a prioritised removal plan for all asbestos, and workers must have the right to act when their health is at risk.” See: Australia on track for more asbestos deaths, unions warn.

One Nation’s Asbestos Legacy

Nov 28, 2025

The thoughtful commentary cited below, which was uploaded on November 21, 2025, highlighted the deadly legacy posed by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material throughout the UK’s built environment. The author of this text, Martin Guttridge-Hewitt, called on the government to acknowledge the toxic situation and take steps to actively address the very real threat posed to workers and members of the public by asbestos in schools, hospitals, council premises, workplaces, etc. See: Safe spaces: the insidious legacy of asbestos in UK public buildings.

Union Calls for Full Asbestos Ban

Nov 24, 2025

On November 10, 2025, The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a Global Union Federation representing 12 million workers in 117 countries, issued a position paper recommitting itself to the ban of all asbestos-containing materials. In the new document, the BWI called on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank Group and “the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets” – to “prohibit all investments in asbestos, removing its exemption for bonded asbestos materials.” See: Prohibit all asbestos-bonded materials from IFC-invested projects.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma: New Data

Nov 24, 2025

A team of 32 scientists from throughout Italy, in collaboration with a Dutch colleague from Utrecht, published the paper cited below on November 17, 2025 in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Having examined data from Italy’s National Mesothelioma Registry for the period 2000–2021, the authors confirmed the link between occupational asbestos exposure in Italy and peritoneal mesothelioma. Concluding the paper, they reported that: “Peritoneal mesothelioma showed clear associations with asbestos exposure using different exposure assessment methods.” See: Peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos exposure: a population-based case–control study in Italy, 2000–2021.

Asbestos Hazard Alert!

Nov 24, 2025

On November 12, 2025, a spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment confirmed that a voluntary recall had been issued, “as a precautionary measure,” for EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) and Creatistics – Coloured Sand (1kg) products over suspicions that they could contain asbestos fibers. Testing by Australian authorities of similar products had confirmed the presence of the carcinogen in colored sand products sold for use by primary school children. See: Recall of EC Rainbow Sand and Creatistics – Coloured Sand (1.3kg) due to potential asbestos contamination.

Asbestos in Schools

Nov 24, 2025

On November 17, 2025, Gwangju City Council member Choi Ji-hyun informed members of the Gwangju City Council, South Korea of her concerns over ongoing delays in the implimentation of the municipal asbestos eradication program for schools by Gwangju’s Metropolitan Office of Education. She said that a lack of funding was threatening the well-being of students as well as staff who were still being exposed to asbestos material present in schools. See: 최지현 시의원 "학교 석면 방치…'안전 후순위' 예산 관행 재검토해야" [City Council Member Choi Ji-hyun: “Asbestos is neglected in schools… We need to reexamine the ‘safety-secondary’ budgeting practice”].

Post-Disaster Asbestos Assessment

Nov 24, 2025

More than two years after asbestos exposures took place in the aftermath of a fire at a blast furnace operated by steelmaker ArcelorMittal in Dunkirk, France, the labor inspectorate reported that toxic exposures had been experienced by 308 employees of the company and 85 workers from five external companies. A full report was submitted to Dunkirk’s public prosecutor "with a view to possible criminal prosecution.” See: Près de 400 travailleurs ont été exposés à l’amiante chez ArcelorMittal à Dunkerque, selon l’inspection du travail [Nearly 400 workers were exposed to asbestos at ArcelorMittal in Dunkirk, according to the labour inspectorate].

Asbestos Protest in Pohang City

Nov 24, 2025

On November 18, 2025, parents of children attending a high school in Pohang City, South Korea mounted a protest and held a press conference to express anxiety over the scheduling of asbestos removal work at the school: part of the decontamination program was due to be carried out during September-October, thereby endangering students and staff. The parents’ concerns were supported by members of the Pohang Environmental Movement Alliance, the Environmental Health Citizen Center, and the Korea Asbestos Removal Network who also attended the rally. See: “포항제철고 학기 중 석면 공사 중단하고 안전 대책 수립하라” [“Stop asbestos construction during Pohang Steel High School semester and establish safety measures”].

Wittenoom: The Way Ahead?

Nov 20, 2025

Australia’s Banjima people, the traditional owners of the land on which the abandoned Wittenoom blue asbestos (crocidolite) mine is located, “have the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma in the world.” Despite years of negotiations with the West Australian (WA) government, there are no plans to decontaminate the land despoiled by years of asbestos mining. Representatives of the Banjima people, who met with the WA Premier in September 2025, gave the Government until the end of the year to come up with a plan before legal action was taken. The clock is ticking. See: Renowned lawyer returns to Wittenoom asbestos case that changed his life.

Further Remediation in Casale Monferrato

Nov 20, 2025

Italy’s Ministry of the Environment has allocated a further €2.5 million (US$2.9m) to pay for the remediation of sites downstream from the former asbestos-cement factory owned by Eternit S.A. in Casale Monferrato. Although the industrial site was decontaminated previously, asbestos waste dumped by Eternit along the Lanza canal remains in place. The program to remediate and restore the land will be carried out jointly by State, Regional and local authorities. See: A Casale altri 2 milioni e mezzo di euro per bonificare il polverino di amianto [In Casale, another 2.5 million euros will be spent on asbestos dust removal].

Asbestos Recall for Children’s Product

Nov 20, 2025

On November 12, 2025, Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) published a recall notice for children’s sand products sold by various retailers including Officeworks between 2020 and 2025. The multi-colored sand products were recalled “because they may contain tremolite asbestos, a naturally occurring asbestos, which was detected in some samples after laboratory testing.” The news of the ACCC’s action spread like wildfire in Australia as well as New Zealand and scores of schools were closed as a precautionary measure. See: Customers warned of recalled children’s sand due to asbestos risks.

Rising Number of Asbestos Claims

Nov 20, 2025

According to the report “UK Asbestos – The Definitive Guide” by the Faculty & Institute of Actuaries: “UK. employers and insurers will face up to 200,000 asbestos-related liability claims by 2040, with an economic impact of up to £20 billion” (~$26 billion). In the article cited below, the author Peta Miller reported that the number of asbestos-related claims “increased sharply over the past several years.” While there were 3,000 asbestos claims in 1993, in 2002 and 2003 there were, respectively, 6,000 and 10,000 claims. These figures were based on data sourced from employers’ liability and general liability policies held by 15 major UK insurance companies. [Note: the cited document has some typo errors in pound to dollar conversions.] See: Asbestos claims to soar in U.K., report forecasts.

Mesothelioma Data: Update

Nov 20, 2025

In a paper published on November 10, 2025 in BMC Public Health – a peer-reviewed science journal covering epidemiology and issues related to public health – Belgian researchers reported that the mesothelioma incidence had risen since the 1970s and was, in recent years, stable at 300 cases/year. Unfortunately, “the overall incidence of mesothelioma in Belgium shows no signs of decline.” Even though rates are decreasing amongst younger cohorts, they are increasing in older age groups. The coauthors of the paper highlighted the need to improve the provision of compensation for the injured. See: Update on mesothelioma incidence and forecast of future cases in Belgium.

Supporting Asbestos Patients

Nov 20, 2025

In 2025, 90 South Korea patients with asbestos-related diseases from Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daejeon, Chungnam and elsewhere were invited to take part in healing camps on October 27-28 and November 4-5. The retreats were designed to “promote mental and physical stability and positive outlooks for the asbestos victims.” Information was provided during the sessions on the management of asbestos-related diseases as well as on a range of government benefits and programs. See: Suncheonhyang University Cheonan Hospital Completion of Healing Camp for Emotional Recovery of Asbestos Victims.

Trade Union’s Asbestos Alert

Nov 17, 2025

Last week, New Zealand’s firefighters’ union reported that asbestos had been found in an air tank used by members of the emergency services. The supply tank had “tested positive for a ‘very small level’ of asbestos,” during investigations undertaken in Auckland. According to an online statement from the Professional Firefighters’ Union: “This news will be very distressing for many firefighters who now have the uncertainty of the safety of their Bas (breathing apparatus) potentially filled using this sample bulk air tank prior to 2023.” See: Asbestos found in breathing equipment 'distressing' for firefighters, union says.