State says ma firefighters were exposed to asbestos

Newton, Massachusetts â€" A state report confirms that firefighters working at Fire Station Three in Newton Center, Massachusetts were exposed to asbestos. The asbestos exposure incident occurred on Wednesday, March 19 when contractors were carrying out renovations in Fire Station Three. As the work was being performed, visible dust was created and at one point debris from the ceiling fell near four firefighters who were nearby. One employee also reported that dust had fallen onto him and onto his computer. Following discovery of the exposure incident an investigation was initiated. Initial tests carried out on the air and the dust in the incident area came back negative. After the incident, Mayoral spokesperson Jeremy Solomon said “Our foremost concern is for the safety and health of building occupants. Clearly, before any [future] work is done in the walls or ceilings, better precautions need to be taken.” A state report released on Friday March 28 indicates that the asbestos dust and debris did in fact pose a health hazard to the workers carrying out the renovation work and to the firefighters present in the station. The area where the incident occurred has been cleaned. The employees who were exposed have seen doctors, but any medical issues that might result from the exposure won’t be seen immediately. Both asbestosis and mesothelioma have latency periods before symptoms are noted. Mesothelioma cancers can take between three and six decades to develop and produce symptoms. Health and Human Services Commissioner David Naparstek said that health and safety workers are treating the four firefighters as though exposure had occurred, so that their health can be monitored for early signs of disease. Despite the fact that the initial tests came back negative, the state report actually found asbestos in the building. The state’s investigation included areas that weren’t formerly tested, however. Fire Union President Tom Lopez is disappointed and frustrated, because the union sent the city a letter two years ago, requesting that the city ensure the safety of firefighters during renovation work due to the possibility of asbestos exposure. Lopez now feels that the city should not have allowed the exposure incident to occur. “They haven’t taken the time to address our concerns. We wanted to work with them. We wanted to avoid what we were going through now.” Renovation work at the city’s fire stations has temporarily ceased, to give the city time to develop a plan to protect firefighters from asbestos during future renovations. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)