EHSO finds asbestos in BOP van
University investigating source of material By Dominic ColacurcioKa Leo News EditorNovember 23, 2005 The University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Environmental Health and Safety Office has found traces of asbestos in the van used this weekend to clean out the Ka Leo press building. The van is normally used to deliver Ka Leo O Hawai'i to spots around the Manoa campus.
Last weekend, a crew headed by Board of Publications member Ross Kamakahi used the van to deposit materials from the press building in dumpsters around campus. Most of the dumpsters they used were emptied by disposal services before they could be checked for asbestos. EHSO found no traces of asbestos in the dumpsters that were not emptied.
EHSO is still investigating to determine where the asbestos came from. EHSO Director Roy Takekawa said the material didn't look like it was part of the building, and that it might have come from a piece of equipment that was removed.
The press building contains three Linotype machines, which use asbestos for insulation. These machines have not been in use since 1978, according to Coordinator for Student Publications Jim Reis.
An outside company has been contracted to clean the van of asbestos, according to Takekawa. In the meantime, the press staff is using a Campus Services pickup truck to deliver Ka Leo issues.
Asbestos Facts
Asbestos describes any of a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety. The name is derived for its historical use in lamp wicks; the resistance of asbestos to fire has long been exploited for a variety of purposes.
As early as 1898, the Chief Inspector of Factories of the United Kingdom reported to Parliament in his Annual Report about the "evil effects of asbestos dust."
Most respirable asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because of their small size.
The fine asbestos fibers are easily inhaled, and can cause a number of respiratory complaints, including a potentially serious lung fibrosis called asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos has also been determined to cause a very serious form of cancer, mesothelioma, that occurs in the chest and abdominal cavities.
When inhaled, asbestos is carcinogenic. In the United States alone, it is estimated that ten thousand people die each year of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer. Asbestos has a synergistic effect with tobacco smoking in the causation of lung cancer.
Last weekend, a crew headed by Board of Publications member Ross Kamakahi used the van to deposit materials from the press building in dumpsters around campus. Most of the dumpsters they used were emptied by disposal services before they could be checked for asbestos. EHSO found no traces of asbestos in the dumpsters that were not emptied.
EHSO is still investigating to determine where the asbestos came from. EHSO Director Roy Takekawa said the material didn't look like it was part of the building, and that it might have come from a piece of equipment that was removed.
The press building contains three Linotype machines, which use asbestos for insulation. These machines have not been in use since 1978, according to Coordinator for Student Publications Jim Reis.
An outside company has been contracted to clean the van of asbestos, according to Takekawa. In the meantime, the press staff is using a Campus Services pickup truck to deliver Ka Leo issues.
Asbestos Facts
Asbestos describes any of a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety. The name is derived for its historical use in lamp wicks; the resistance of asbestos to fire has long been exploited for a variety of purposes.
As early as 1898, the Chief Inspector of Factories of the United Kingdom reported to Parliament in his Annual Report about the "evil effects of asbestos dust."
Most respirable asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because of their small size.
The fine asbestos fibers are easily inhaled, and can cause a number of respiratory complaints, including a potentially serious lung fibrosis called asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos has also been determined to cause a very serious form of cancer, mesothelioma, that occurs in the chest and abdominal cavities.
When inhaled, asbestos is carcinogenic. In the United States alone, it is estimated that ten thousand people die each year of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancer. Asbestos has a synergistic effect with tobacco smoking in the causation of lung cancer.
posted by Chris Placitella | 9:19 AM
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