Recurring concern

Uncontrolled asbestos contamination creating exposure risks

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First reported 19 Sep 2018•Latest report 21 Dec 2020

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes failures or hazards specifically involving asbestos contamination, release or exposure where dedicated controls for identification, containment, remediation, protection or warning are inadequate, including contaminated council records and asbestos exposure arising during or after a fire.

Not included

Excludes generic fire, building, workplace or environmental safety deficiencies where asbestos contamination or exposure is not identified.
Excludes unrelated hazardous-substance contamination or exposure without an asbestos component.
Excludes clinical diagnosis or treatment of asbestos-related disease where no ongoing asbestos contamination or exposure-control deficiency is identified.
Excludes ordinary records-management or document-storage deficiencies unless asbestos contamination of the records is the material safety concern.

Reports: 2
Individual concerns: 3
Date range: 2018–2020
Stated actions: 3

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

London Borough of Lambeth1

NHS England1

West Sussex County Council1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

21 Dec2020
West Sussex
Concerns raised2
1. Potential asbestos-fibre contamination of council records
2. Risk of asbestos exposure from contaminated council records
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 3
1. Action
  Commission and complete asbestos inspections, laboratory testing and air sampling of representative Registrar’s records at all three storage locations.
  Stated by London Borough of LambethStated completed
2. Action
  Conduct asbestos air monitoring in strong rooms 4 and 5 where the registers are stored.
  Stated by West Sussex County CouncilStated completed
3. Action
  Sample and analyse dust from strong rooms 4 and 5 for asbestos contamination.
  Stated by West Sussex County CouncilStated completed
Respondent positions 3
1. Position
  Inspections found no asbestos contamination or associated risk in Registrar’s records, so further asbestos-related action is not proposed.
  Stated by London Borough of LambethDisputes the concern
1. Position
  Testing found no asbestos in dust or airborne fibres, so contact with the registers does not present an apparent asbestos exposure risk.
  Stated by West Sussex County CouncilDisputes the concern
2. Position
  No further action is required regarding the storage location or registers because monitoring and dust sampling found no asbestos risk.
  Stated by West Sussex County CouncilNo action considered necessary
AI-generated summary

Brian JAMES EASEY · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Brian James Easey was diagnosed with biphasic mesothelioma in September 2020 and died from the condition on 13 December 2020. The report raises concerns that asbestos fibres may remain on council records and could expose people who come into contact with them, with an associated risk of fatal mesothelioma.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Potential asbestos-fibre contamination of council records
Wider context from the report
“(1) In view of Mr Easey’s description of the dust present on the council records in both locations there appears to me a real risk that these records were, and remain, contaminated with asbestos fibres; ”
Source location
Brian JAMES EASEY · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Risk of asbestos exposure from contaminated council records
Wider context from the report
“(2) Should there currently be asbestos fibres present on the records this presents a risk of asbestos exposure to all those whose come into contact with the records with an associated risk of developing fatal mesothelioma. ”
Source location
Brian JAMES EASEY · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 2 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Commission and complete asbestos inspections, laboratory testing and air sampling of representative Registrar’s records at all three storage locations.

Verbatim wording from the response
“16. The Council had commissioned detailed reports from external asbestos specialists in relation to the records held at each of these three locations, some of which will have been stored at 340 and/or 357-363 Brixton Road at some point in the past. The results of those tests are set out below under the heading “outcome of testing”.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-Lambeth-Legal-Services-Redacted
Page 4 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Conduct asbestos air monitoring in strong rooms 4 and 5 where the registers are stored.

Verbatim wording from the response
“contaminated with asbestos fibres. To respond to this concern, arrangements were made for air monitoring for asbestos and dust sampling testing to be undertaken at the location that the records are currently held, that being the County Records Office. The testing was undertaken by Perry Analytical Limited – Analytical and Consultant Chemist. Copies of the reports prepared by Perry Analytical are enclosed.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-West-Sussex-County-Council-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Sample and analyse dust from strong rooms 4 and 5 for asbestos contamination.

Verbatim wording from the response
“contaminated with asbestos fibres. To respond to this concern, arrangements were made for air monitoring for asbestos and dust sampling testing to be undertaken at the location that the records are currently held, that being the County Records Office. The testing was undertaken by Perry Analytical Limited – Analytical and Consultant Chemist. Copies of the reports prepared by Perry Analytical are enclosed.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-West-Sussex-County-Council-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Inspections found no asbestos contamination or associated risk in Registrar’s records, so further asbestos-related action is not proposed.

Verbatim wording from the response
“2. In summary, we can inform the Coroner that reports produced by Ayerst, an external asbestos specialist, following extensive inspections have confirmed that there is no contamination of the Council’s Registrar files that were once held at 340 Brixton Road (and at other offices used by the Council’s Registrar’s Office in the past). Further details are set out below. In view of these findings the Council does not intend to take any further action.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-Lambeth-Legal-Services-Redacted
Page 1 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Testing found no asbestos in dust or airborne fibres, so contact with the registers does not present an apparent asbestos exposure risk.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The second concern raised is that should there currently be asbestos fibres present on the records this presents a risk of asbestos exposure to all those who come in to contact with the records with an associated risk of developing fatal mesothelioma. Given that the findings of the air monitoring for asbestos in both strong rooms identified that the airborne concentration was satisfactory and secondly that the dust samples did not identify the presence of any asbestos, it is not apparent that any one that comes in to contact with the registers would have any exposure to asbestos.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-West-Sussex-County-Council-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
No further action is required regarding the storage location or registers because monitoring and dust sampling found no asbestos risk.

Verbatim wording from the response
“It therefore follows that there is no requirement for the council to take any further action regarding either the location in which the registers are stored or the registers in question.”

Source location
2020-0293-Response-from-West-Sussex-County-Council-Redacted
Page 2 · response
Published 8 January 2021
Open published response
19 Sep2018
Inner West London
Concerns raised1
1. Potential asbestos exposure causing late-onset health conditions
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
AI-generated summary

Fatemeh Afrasiabi and 70 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

The report concerns people who died in the Grenfell Tower fire, where it was considered likely that almost all deaths resulted from smoke inhalation, although this evidence had not yet been tested in court. Concerns included the absence of a structured health-screening programme for survivors, first responders and site workers exposed to smoke, dust and potentially asbestos, together with the risk of later physical and mental health problems going unnoticed.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Potential asbestos exposure causing late-onset health conditions
Wider context from the report
“3. That there may have been exposure to asbestos during and after the fire that could possibly cause late onset health issues such as mesothelioma. ”
Source location
Fatemeh Afrasiabi and 70 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 4 · concerns
Open source report

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Not included

Reports over time

Concerns raised2

Potential asbestos-fibre contamination of council records

Risk of asbestos exposure from contaminated council records

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3

Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3

Concerns raised1

Potential asbestos exposure causing late-onset health conditions

Actions described in response 3

Respondent positions 3