The number of mesotheliomas in my local/unitary authority area increased relatively more rapidly than the number for Great Britain as a whole. Does this mean my area has an asbestos problem?
This most likely means that your area had a relatively low number of mesotheliomas. The geographical distribution of mesothelioma deaths is affected by the fact that death certificates (upon which statistics are based) only record the last address of residence. Thus people may have had heavy exposures to asbestos in the past in the traditional high-risk industries located within certain geographical areas, and then moved to areas of a relatively lower risk before dying from mesothelioma. Also, the effect of the risk of more general exposures across a wider range of occupations (e.g. exposure to maintenance workers in buildings) is likely to affect all geographical areas and is thus likely to be most noticeable in those that have traditionally been of lowest risk.
Related Questions
- My local/unitary authority area was identified as having a high risk of mesothelioma. Does this mean there is a problem in my area or that I am at higher risk of being exposed to asbestos?
- I live in Slough, but my child attends a school in another local authority area. Who is responsible for assessing their special educational needs?
- Does the customer have to complete a new claim form for a change of address, even when the change is within the local authority area?
