Caithness Glass

[neep___docker]

Met someone this weekend who had been investigating the possible use of the Caithness Glass factory for other business purposes. And they got quite a surprise.

Turns out that the buildng is heavily contaminated with arsenic ! It was used in the glass making, and apparently is so bad its in the very fabric of the building. To decontaminate the site would cost a fortune. Unlikely anybody will want to take the building on.

So looks like yet another white elephant for Caithness.

Mind you, it'll go well with its white elephant neighbour, the Wick Business Park - it has managed to attract a total of ZERO businessness since it was constructed a good view years ago.

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[KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN]

i heard the council wanted to get hold of it and shift their yard up there?

[brokencross]

Do you mean the Harrow Road Glass factory site, or the Aerodrome site 'cos I thought houses were already being built at Harrow Road so I presume the problem would apply to both sites.

[neep___docker]

I mean the new glass factory building out on the John O'Groats road.

If the building is contaminated with arsenic, then I wonder what effect that had on the workers that were there ?

[Alli]

Who told you the building was contaminated with arsenic, I have never heard such rubbish, Yes the arsenic was used in the making of the glass but it was minute amounts which was stored in steel drums with an air tight seal.

When these containers were opened and mixed with the glass batch this was all done in a vented area with the men using air flow breathing equipment.
The reason I know, I was the one who took the stuff off the lorries.

[scotsboy]

But nothing you have said tells us that it is not contaminated Alli, simply that there actually was potential for arsenic contamination.

[katarina]

As some one else said, if one site is contaminated, then it follows that the first factory would also have that problem. I worked in both factories and the one where mcconichies tyres are now and my health is fine - thank-you.

[neep___docker]

Who told you the building was contaminated with arsenic

Agents of the owners of the building told the person that I spoke to. And the done an estimate of the cost to clean it out.

[Alli]

Answer this question then, Why did landrover use the building for cleaning and storing their vechiles this year if the building was contaminated.

Surely they wouldn't have let their employees use such a place if it is contaminated with arsenic.

[scotsboy]

Now there is a good way to prove the Dounreay site is free from radioactive contamination, let people store cars on it :roll:

[Alli]

Missed the point scotsboy, it's the workers I was referring to not the vechiles!

[scotsboy]

Yeah, I missed the point :roll:

[Rheghead]

I very much doubt the phrase that 'arsenic is in the fabric of the building'. I used to work in an electro plating shop and there was cyanide dust on the floor and on the roof beams. When the shop closed we just went round and mopped it all down, problem solved.

The glass industry use in comparison a much smaller amount of arsenic, I rather suspect some specialist high falluting cleaning company has (as usual) been fanning the flames of fear when an enquiry was made to cleaning the site, thus getting a rather expensive cleaning contract.

[Alli]

Rheghead-------------Thank goddess for something sensible to be said at last about this.
I agree with you on this one.

[neep___docker]

The original posting said nothing about whether there was enough of an arsenic problem as to be a danger to health.

The information was given to the person because the effect of getting rid of the contamination would have an impact on any potential business operations. I think it pretty brave, though probably legally required, for them to have mentioned such a thing.

But it's bound to be an issue for putting the building back into use again - it will make some people think twice.

[~~Tides~~]

Let's not get all pedantic now neep__docker. ;)

[George Brims]

Why get worried about arsenic contamination when they used very small amounts of arsenic, and huge amounts of lead oxide (red lead). I know of one former employee who had elevated levels of lead in his blood and was given chelation therapy to get rid of it. In his case the factory weren't totally to blame as he (and others among the workforce including myself) were a bit careless about hand washing before eating.