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Asbestos: The Neoliberal Poison

Reposted by Confront

Tribune @tribunemagazine.bsky.social · 7d

Asbestos exposure remains the leading cause of occupational deaths in Britain today. Why did successive neoliberal governments fail to address the problem — and how can we challenge their toxic legacy?

Asbestos exposure remains the leading cause of occupational deaths in Britain today. Why did successive neoliberal governments fail to address the problem — and how can we challenge their toxic legacy...

tribunemag.co.uk

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Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 28

Our investigation into the legacy of UK asbestos company Turner & Newall in Eswatini reveals significant ongoing risks to those living near millions of tons of uncontained asbestos waste: confrontpower.org/asbestos-was...

Serious asbestos management failings at Oxford University, documents reveal | Confront Power

Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · 9d

Documents obtained by Confront reveal serious issues with how the University of Oxford has managed the thousands of asbestos-containing materials in its buildings. Full story:
confrontpower.org/university-o... @ucu.org.uk

The University of Oxford was ordered to release documents on its asbestos management, which showed the university was in breach of regulations designed to protect people from potentially fatal asbesto...

Serious asbestos management failings at Oxford University, documents reveal | Confront Power

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · 8d

It took nearly a year to acquire these documents, which Oxford University only released after being reported to the ICO and were found to have breached the Environmental Information Regulations in how they dealt with our request.

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · 9d

Documents obtained by Confront reveal serious issues with how the University of Oxford has managed the thousands of asbestos-containing materials in its buildings. Full story:
confrontpower.org/university-o... @ucu.org.uk

The University of Oxford was ordered to release documents on its asbestos management, which showed the university was in breach of regulations designed to protect people from potentially fatal asbesto...

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · 22d

Documents discovered during legal cases in the USA show that for decades, major companies covered up the dangers of asbestos.

Barry Castleman explains some of the key findings: confrontpower.org/asbestos-ind...

The small town living alongside 50 million tons of asbestos waste

Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 29

We are happy to have cross-published our investigation into the legacy of Turner & Newall's asbestos mining in Africa with the Inhlase Centre for Investigative Journalism in Eswatini: inhlase.com/the-small-to...

By Nokukhanya Musi and Tom Quinn In the once-bustling town of Bulembu in Eswatini, a small landlocked country in southern Africa, the shadow of the asbestos mining industry looms large. The mine close...

inhlase.com

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Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Sep 4

This photograph shows women, children, and even a baby all being exposed to the extremely toxic blue asbestos in South Africa in the late 1950s. It was already well known that asbestos dust could be fatal by this point.

confrontpower.org/south-africa...

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Sep 4

This photograph shows women, children, and even a baby all being exposed to the extremely toxic blue asbestos in South Africa in the late 1950s. It was already well known that asbestos dust could be fatal by this point.

confrontpower.org/south-africa...

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Sep 3

Among the generation of carpenters working in the UK in the 1950s-1970s, “about 10% of them are going to die of asbestos-induced cancer,” epidemiologist Professor Julian Peto told Confront. How did this happen? Our story: confrontpower.org/how-asbestos...

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 31

Asbestos is banned in over 60 countries, but not in India, where experts warn of a coming epidemic of asbestos diseases among those exposed to asbestos at work.

Our story: confrontpower.org/asbestos-and...

The small town living alongside 50 million tons of asbestos waste

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 29

We are happy to have cross-published our investigation into the legacy of Turner & Newall's asbestos mining in Africa with the Inhlase Centre for Investigative Journalism in Eswatini: inhlase.com/the-small-to...

By Nokukhanya Musi and Tom Quinn In the once-bustling town of Bulembu in Eswatini, a small landlocked country in southern Africa, the shadow of the asbestos mining industry looms large. The mine close...

inhlase.com

2 3

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 28

Our investigation into the legacy of UK asbestos company Turner & Newall in Eswatini reveals significant ongoing risks to those living near millions of tons of uncontained asbestos waste: confrontpower.org/asbestos-was...

African town faces deadly threat from UK firm's asbestos waste | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 28

Exclusive: residents near what was Africa's largest asbestos mine, run by the now-bankrupt British company Turner & Newall, are living alongside 50 million tons of uncontained asbestos waste that is up to 180m high and at risk of collapse due to climate change. confrontpower.org/asbestos-was...

Our investigation into the legacy of Turner & Newall in Eswatini has found widespread health and environmental risks for those living near a former asbestos mine

The family whose campaign defeated the Colombian asbestos industry | Confront Power

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Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 6

Thousands of Colombians lost their lives to asbestos, while
Colombian asbestos companies insisted their asbestos posed no risk. They were wrong.

One family took centre stage in the campaign to expose the truth and prohibit asbestos in Colombia: confrontpower.org/colombia-asb...

Colombian asbestos companies insisted their asbestos posed no risk. They were wrong. One family took centre stage in the campaign to expose the truth and prohibit asbestos in Colombia.

The family whose campaign defeated the Colombian asbestos industry | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 6

Thousands of Colombians lost their lives to asbestos, while
Colombian asbestos companies insisted their asbestos posed no risk. They were wrong.

One family took centre stage in the campaign to expose the truth and prohibit asbestos in Colombia: confrontpower.org/colombia-asb...

Colombian asbestos companies insisted their asbestos posed no risk. They were wrong. One family took centre stage in the campaign to expose the truth and prohibit asbestos in Colombia.

The ongoing asbestos trade & hidden disease in India | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Aug 1

It's #WorldLungCancerDay. Asbestos-induced lung cancer kills tens of thousands around the world each year.

Our story from India looked at the ongoing asbestos trade, the risks workers are facing, and the impact lung cancer had on one family: confrontpower.org/asbestos-and...

India is failing to diagnose and compensate people who fall ill from the large amounts of asbestos it continues to import.

How asbestos killed thousands of British carpenters | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jul 16

Denis Brown was part of a generation of carpenters who worked around large amounts of asbestos dust. Decades later, and thousands of carpenters like Denis have died from asbestos diseases.

Our story: confrontpower.org/how-asbestos... feat @londonasbestos.bsky.social

Carpenters working in the 1950s to 1970s, like Denis Brown, were largely left unprotected from asbestos exposure. Thousands of deaths followed.

How asbestos killed thousands of British carpenters | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jul 14

Denis Brown was part of a generation of carpenters who worked around large amounts of asbestos dust, while leading asbestos manufacturers knew it could be fatal.

Decades later, and thousands of carpenters like Denis have died from asbestos diseases. Our story: confrontpower.org/how-asbestos...

Carpenters working in the 1950s to 1970s, like Denis Brown, were largely left unprotected from asbestos exposure. Thousands of deaths followed.

The epidemic of asbestos diseases among British electricians | Confront Power

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jul 4

It's Action Mesothelioma Day 2025.

Mesothelioma kills over 2,000 people in the UK each year. We looked inside one family - and one profession - devestated by this asbestos cancer.
confrontpower.org/epidemic-of-... #AMD2025

The asbestos industry knew asbestos was carcinogenic, but for years, many electricians working with it didn't. An epidemic of asbestos-related diseases followed.

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jun 24

Our new findings would be of particular interest to @sussexucu.bsky.social @kclucu.bsky.social @umucu.bsky.social and @cardiffucu.bsky.social

Terminal illnesses and endless costs: the enduring legacy of the asbestos industry in UK universities | Confront Power

Reposted by Confront

Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jun 18

NEW: Confront investigation into the ongoing repercussions of the asbestos industry in UK universities. Decades after asbestos was banned we reveal the remaining asbestos still present on campuses, related illnesses, and enormous costs universities are left with. confrontpower.org/the-enduring...

Decades after it was fully banned, asbestos is still an issue across the UK's higher education system.

Terminal illnesses and endless costs: the enduring legacy of the asbestos industry in UK universities | Confront Power

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · Jun 18

NEW: Confront investigation into the ongoing repercussions of the asbestos industry in UK universities. Decades after asbestos was banned we reveal the remaining asbestos still present on campuses, related illnesses, and enormous costs universities are left with. confrontpower.org/the-enduring...

Decades after it was fully banned, asbestos is still an issue across the UK's higher education system.

“We were just playing with death.” Inside a South African town poisoned by asbestos | Confront Power

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Confront @confrontpower.bsky.social · May 22

For decades, asbestos has ravaged the South African ex-mining town of Mafefe. Yet its residents are still waiting for government help. Our latest report:
confrontpower.org/asbestos-and...

Residents of Mafefe, South Africa, are still dealing with the toxic legacy of the apartheid-era asbestos mines.