Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

An asbestos hazard in North Devon.

V A Pearson1, P A Sims

  • 1Department of Public Health Medicine, North Devon Health Authority, Barnstaple.

Journal of Public Health Medicine
|December 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cross-tissue immune cell analysis reveals tissue-specific features in humans.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2022
Same author

Cooperative regulation of AJM-1 controls junctional integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans epithelia.

Nature cell biology·2001
Same author

"They never tell you about the consequences": young people's awareness of sexually transmitted infections.

International journal of STD & AIDS·2001
Same author

Hearing metaphor: an approach to working with family-generated metaphor.

Family process·1998
Same author

Preventing teenage pregnancy.

Archives of disease in childhood·1998
Same author

alpha IIb beta 3 redistribution triggered by receptor cross-linking.

Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology·1997
Same journal

Contact tracing and population screening for tuberculosis - who should be assessed?

Journal of public health medicine·2004
Same journal

Change in adult health following medical priority rehousing.

Journal of public health medicine·2004
Same journal

Change in adult health following medical priority rehousing.

Journal of public health medicine·2004
Same journal

Communicable disease and health protection quarterly review: April to June 2003. From the Health Protection Agency Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.

Journal of public health medicine·2004
Same journal

Prophylactic aspirin use in the adult general population.

Journal of public health medicine·2004
Same journal

Patterns of adult and old-age mortality in rural Burkina Faso.

Journal of public health medicine·2004
See all related articles

Public health officials managed a low-risk asbestos exposure incident, addressing high public anxiety and compensation concerns. The intervention highlighted the importance of public relations in health emergencies.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Occupational Health
  • Public Health Medicine

Background:

  • A leisure centre experienced asbestos-based ceiling tile removal, leading to a four-month delay in addressing potential risks to staff and the public.
  • The incident generated significant public concern and embarrassment for the local authority, necessitating intervention from Public Health Medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of Public Health Medicine intervention in a low-risk environmental exposure incident.
  • To analyze the management of public anxiety and compensation-related concerns in a health scare scenario.

Main Methods:

  • Public communication strategies including a public statement and a dedicated 'hotline'.
  • Occupational health assessments for leisure centre staff, including interviews and questionnaires.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Medical follow-up, including chest X-rays for 21 staff members, based on expert advice.

    • Main Results:

    • Despite very low actual health risks from asbestos exposure, the incident caused significant public anxiety.
    • The intervention involved multiple agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive.
    • The response served as a major public relations exercise for the Department of Public Health Medicine.

    Conclusions:

    • Public Health Medicine intervention was crucial in managing public perception and anxiety, even when health risks were minimal.
    • Effective communication and public relations are vital components of managing environmental health incidents.
    • The case underscores the challenges of balancing low-risk realities with high public anxiety, particularly when compensation is a factor.