Young girl exposed to deadly asbestos fibres after breaking into disused hotel building and being rescued by fire-fighters.

Last Updated on May 10, 2021 by

A 16 year old girl has been exposed to asbestos in Plymouth from entering a disused building through a window. The abandoned building was once the Quality Hotel, but it has been empty for a number of years. The hotel was built prior to the asbestos ban in 2000 and contains a lot of asbestos.

The young girl vandalised the hotel, breaking plaster walls and ceilings both containing asbestos containing material (ACM’s) releasing the deadly fibres into the atmosphere.

Although there is nothing that can be done health wise after exposure to the fibres the girl was given advice on medical symptoms and advised to dispose of all of the clothes she was wearing at the time with the help of a licensed hazardous waste handler, in case the fibres have attached to them. She was also given advice about asbestos decontamination showers. Once you have come into contact with asbestos the contaminated items will continue to carry the asbestos unless removed by a licensed contractor.

The girl was stuck on a first floor roof canopy where she was rescued via a ladder by the fire service. Fire-fighters have issued a warning telling people to avoid entering abandoned buildings, for threat of health risks.

After the incident the premises owners are liaising with police over the security of the building and the dangerous ACM’s that it holds. ACM’s, if disturbed hold an extreme health risk and have been linked to the cancer Mesothelioma.

https://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Devon-teenager-exposed-asbestos-entering-disused/story-259174

At Armco we offer a wide range of comprehensive, flexible training surround asbestos including Asbestos Awareness, working with non-licenses asbestos materials, face fit testing training and online courses. Contact out office on 0161 761 4424 or head to our training website and fill in the contact form. https://www.armcoasbestostraining.co.uk/

Additionally we qualified surveyors specialising in Management and Refurbishment/demolition surveys.  If you are in need of an Asbestos Survey or unsure whether your premises requires one, we will be only too happy to oblige, you can get in touch us on 0161 763 03727 or fill in our contact form on our website https://www.armco.org.uk/

Published Jan 26, 2015