Asbestos News Roundup: 3.28.13 – Check your Furnace

March 28th, 2013. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Hot Air Furnaces & Asbestos Risk

Hot-air furnaces are a popular way to heat a house. In Canada alone, millions have been sold over the years. However, as one man discovered recently, the older models of these furnaces contain asbestos. While asbestos has been banned from use in furnace gaskets since the 1970s in Canada, and likely the US as well, furnaces purchased and installed before then, could well still be in operation—they have a lifespan of some 50 years or more. As the gaskets disintegrate with time and wear and tear, they can spread asbestos fibers throughout the house, exposing the inhabitants to long-term exposure and potentially fatal asbestos disease including asbestosis and lung cancer—without them even knowing it.

Colinet, NewFoundland: A Canadian man who began renovating his house in Colinet, has had a nasty shock. He discovered that a gasket that acts as a heat shield inside his furnace contains asbestos.

Keith Tremblett, who worked as a mechanic for more than 20 years, could easily have replaced the worn-out part, but thankfully, he thought twice about it.

“In the process of taking it apart and doing the repairs, I was looking at the gasket and I was saying, ‘Jeez, I wonder what material that’s made out of, and should I be concerned here with what I’m dealing with?’ ” he recalled.

Instead of taking unnecessary risks, he contacted the furnace manufacturer, Newmac Furnaces. Sure enough, a company representative told Tremblett that given the age of the unit, the gasket likely contained asbestos and should be replaced.

But the fact that the gasket had virtually disintegrated, and likely did contain asbestos, caused Tremblett deep concern. “All I found was remnants of it,” he said. “It’s not even a full sheet anymore. It’s just remnants of the gasket and most of the material, I would have to assume, is either within the duct work or throughout the house.”

If asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs. Over time, that can lead to asbestosis—which impairs lung function, and is incurable—or a number of deadly cancers including asbestos-related lung cancer.

Tremblett was not happy with the way the manufacturer handled his concern–they simply told him to remove the gasket. “I think they handled it truly unprofessionally,” he said. “Their recommendation to me was to wet it down and remove it.”

According to a report by CBCNews, Health Canada banned asbestos use in furnaces in the early 1980s. But they did not issue a recall or even a public warning about the potential danger. For their part, Health Canada says it has regulated the use of asbestos in Canada since the late 1970s, but that no warnings or alerts have been issued on this specific issue (CBCNews.com).

Instead, the agency says the effects of asbestos exposure are well known and available on its website, and urges anyone who suspects their furnace contains asbestos to have it inspected by a qualified technician.

For Keith Tremblett, this response is sorely lacking. He believes Health Canada should take some responsibility.

Three decades later, asbestos is still posing a clear and present danger, and in this incidence, as the lifespan of a furnace is about 50 years, any number of people could have been lethally exposed to asbestos. (CBC.ca)

Uniondale, NY: Over 100 current and former workers at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale are alleging they have suffered long-term exposure to the lethal carcinogen which has made them gravely ill. The plaintiffs in the pending asbestos litigation worked in the arena as carpenters and electricians.

According to a report by Newsday, about 140 people have filed notices of claim, the first step towards filing asbestos lawsuits. CBSNews reports that the lawsuits could be consolidated into an asbestos class action, which would seek between $500 million and $1 billion in compensation. The state will inspect the property to establish whether or not asbestos is present and therefore poses a health threat. However, attorneys for the prospective plaintiffs have not waited for the state inspectors to make their pronouncements. An asbestos lawyer representing a collection of the plaintiffs told CBS 2 that bulk samples have been sent to three separate laboratories, all coming back with dangerous levels of asbestos.

The 41-year old stadium has a rich history, having hosted, among others, Elvis, David Bowie and Queen in concert, as well as being used by the National Hockey League. (CBSNewYork/AP)

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Exposure, asbestos law, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma

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