Residents condemn rash asbestos removal

Residents of a Clapham council estate have condemned the local council for removing asbestos from their homes without giving them prior warning, ic SouthLondon reports.

For the second time this year residents of the Clapham Park Estate is south London have had workmen arrive to rip down sheets of asbestos without giving them, or nearby schools, any warning the potentially hazardous work was to be carried out.

Asbestos was hailed as a wonder material for many years and was used in many older houses up until the 1970s as thermal insulation. It was also used in personal protection equipment (PPE) which has resulted in a number of fatalities and incapacities through sickness.

Asbestos is at its most dangerous when inhaled, as it forms a thick lining in the lungs causing respiratory difficulties.

Nevertheless, neither householders or nearby schools were given notice that the hazardous material was to be removed from homes, causing outrage among the local community.

One Clapham Park resident who preferred not to be named, was quoted by ic SouthLondon saying: "I used to work for the council and I know there are strict guidelines to be adhered to when dealing with asbestos.

"Those workmen should have been wearing protective clothing and they should have sealed off the area and warned residents they were coming - they did neither."

However, a spokesman for Clapham Park Homes, who took over responsibility for running the estate in June, said that as far as he was aware no asbestos had been disturbed and no health risks were posed to residents.


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