A British trade union is demanding answers from the government after banned chrysotile asbestos was discovered in brake components inside wind turbine lifts and hoists.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Asbestos has been discovered in components used inside about 1,000 wind turbines across the United Kingdom, raising worker-safety questions and prompting a trade union to demand a full government accounting of how banned material entered the country through imported parts.
The hazardous substance was found in brake components used in lifts and hoists installed in wind turbines, The Times reported. The affected parts are believed to have come from third-party suppliers in China and contain chrysotile, also known as white asbestos.
Chrysotile has been fully banned in the United Kingdom since November 1999. British law prohibits buying, selling or exporting materials containing the substance.
The discovery has led GMB, a major trade union, to formally contact the UK government and the Health and Safety Executive seeking details about the cleanup operation now underway. The union is asking officials to explain how the asbestos-containing components reached the UK wind sector and what steps are being taken to prevent a repeat.
Louise Gilmour, secretary of GMB Scotland, said the case exposed serious concerns about overseas contracting, industrial policy and worker protection.
“Every one of the contracts sent abroad as operators chase the bottom line has cost our country jobs and apprenticeships. To discover we have been exporting skilled work while importing asbestos beggars belief,” Gilmour stated. “Our country banned asbestos decades ago because it was killing workers and their families, but we now pay for it to be ferried here from the other side of the world and then pay again to remove it? We deserve to be told exactly how this happened and what is being be done to prevent it happening again.”
There is no indication that lift suppliers or wind farm operators knew the components contained asbestos when they were installed. The precise circumstances that led to the discovery have not been disclosed, though the material appears to have been identified during inspections or maintenance.
The Energy Institute, a professional membership body for the energy sector, said it is aware of the issue and has been helping coordinate information across the industry. According to the organization, reports so far indicate that the asbestos, where present, is contained within sealed brake housings.
The institute said the material is encapsulated and non-friable, meaning it is not producing airborne fibers during normal operations.
The Energy Institute said it has been working with member companies to share data with the Health and Safety Executive. It is also engaging with lift manufacturers and turbine original equipment manufacturers to confirm replacement parts and develop safe methods for removing and replacing the affected components.
“At present, there is no indication of worker health risk, and no evidence of wrongdoing by turbine operators,” the organization said.
Asbestos was widely used during much of the 20th century because of its durability and resistance to fire. It was later linked to serious diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. The United Kingdom began limiting certain forms of asbestos in the 1980s before banning chrysotile, the final permitted type, in 1999.
The finding has renewed concerns about imported industrial components from countries with regulatory standards that differ from those in the UK. China has restricted certain asbestos uses but has not adopted the full bans in place in the United Kingdom and many other Western countries.
The cleanup will require contaminated brake components to be removed and replaced under controlled conditions designed to prevent asbestos exposure. Such work typically involves specialized contractors trained in asbestos handling and disposal, adding cost and complexity to the repair process.
The discovery leaves industry officials, regulators and workers facing questions about supply-chain oversight, inspection standards and how banned asbestos was able to enter UK renewable-energy infrastructure decades after the substance was outlawed.
More details are available from The Times.
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