More asbestos found in newton fire station

Newton, Massachusetts â€" More deposits of asbestos have been found in the Newton, Massachusetts-based Fire Station 3. The station was the site of a renovation project in which asbestos was discovered and dispersed while firefighters were present in the building. The exposure incident occurred on Wednesday, March 19 when contractors were working on a renovation project in Fire Station 3. During the incident, visible dust was created and debris from the ceiling fell near four nearby firefighters. One employee 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. A state report released on Friday March 28 indicates that the asbestos dust and debris did 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, and the employees who were exposed have seen doctors, but any medical issues that may result won’t develop immediately. Both asbestosis and mesothelioma have latency periods before symptoms are noted. In the case of mesothelioma the latency period can extend for several decades. FLI Environment has since returned to the Newton Fire Station for yet another round of asbestos testing. In this round, asbestos has been discovered in two new locations: in the clothing of one of the workers, and in a rug in the Fire Station weight room. FLI Environmental has recommended that the clothing and the rug be disposed of safely according to asbestos-handling regulations. The two previous rounds of air testing at Fire Station 3 had concluded that the spread of asbestos had been much more limited. However, it seems now that the asbestos dust has spread. The city is now carrying out preconstruction surveys in all five of the fire stations that are scheduled for renovation projects, to make sure that any hazardous materials present in the fire stations are handled and disposed of safely. Mayor David Cohen said, “We are going to continue to [take] precautions as we do additional work in the fire stations to make sure that our workers are not exposed to asbestos and that we are making the work as safe as possible. The first priority of the city is the safety of the inhabitants of the fire stations.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)