Lessons learnt from a factory fire with asbestos-containing fallout.
BACKGROUND
Fallout containing asbestos from a factory fire at Tranmere, Wirral, England, landed on a highly populated urban area with an estimated 16000 people living in the area worst affected, which included a shipbuilding community. There was considerable public concern over the health impact of the acute environmental incident, and great media interest.


METHODS
A descriptive study was carried out of the acute environmental incident and its management, and the difficulties encountered.


RESULTS
Practical lessons learnt include need for: increased fire-fighter awareness of potential adverse health effects from asbestos in the structure of buildings; early involvement of both Local Authority environmental health and National Health Service public health departments; creation of a systematic local database of potential environmental health hazards in the structure of buildings as well as their contents; 24 hour on-call arrangements with laboratories expert in analyses of fire fallout; rapid quantitative analyses of multiple environmental samples; district written policy on handling asbestos incidents; systematic assessment of fright and media factors in public impact of an incident; dedicated public help-lines open long hours; consistent evidence-based public messages from all those communicating with the public; measurement of asbestos levels in the street and homes for public reassurance; local and health authorities' subscription to an environmental incident support service; formation of an acute environmental incident team to jointly manage and publicly report on airborne acute environmental incidents; clear government definition of responsibilities of different agencies.


CONCLUSIONS
This paper provides a description of important lessons learnt during an acute environmental incident with asbestos-containing fallout. It will be helpful to those involved in the practical planning for and management of future incidents.
Bridgman
S A
SA
Industrial and Community Health Research Centre, Keele University School of Postgraduate Medicine, Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent.
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D003142:Communication; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004739:England; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005239:Fear; D005390:Fires / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001194:Asbestos