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Posted By Dominic Graham
Does anyone have any information on the possibility of anthrax being present in horsehair contained in old plaster? I cannot seem to find any published information on this subject.
I would be very grateful for any help.
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Posted By Alison Dando
If I remember, there was an article in the Safety & Health Practioner about three years ago concerning digging in old burial grounds and it also covered old buildings ( which may cover your horsehair plaster, which I think was mentioned). Anthrax if present, will be in the spore phase not the vegetative phase, so you will need to do a biological risk assessment under COSHH especially looking at: covering all cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings/plasters, covering all skin and employees also wearing masks to prevent any inhalation or ingestion of spores and using any handwashing/welfare facilities provided.
Other sources of information would be microbiology books, medical journals and anyone in the buliding trade that accesses this site the bacterium being referenced being Bacillus anthracis.
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Posted By Roger Smith
Dominic,
There is at least a theoretical risk of anthrax spores being present in plaster dating from the Victorian era. Whether they are still capable of producing anthrax is a debatable point.
Horse hair shaved from horse hides was (is)a bi-product of the leather industry. In the nineteenth century, it was used as a binder in plaster to bring it to the right consistency before applying it to walls and ceilings inside buildings.
Anthrax was a common in cattle, sheep and horses during that period. Attached to the horse hair, the spores would go into a dormant phase as the plaster dried out. Although dormant for more than a century, the spores may still be able to become active.
Unfortunately testing one wall and finding it is safe does not mean that all other walls will be free from spores as the Victorian plasterer would have used different batches of plaster, hair etc. on different walls.
Best protection is as stated already.
Wear dust mask and gloves, cover all cuts. Apply general hygiene rules regarding no smoking, eating or drinking while working. Washing before eating etc. Making the plaster wet before removal would also help to reduce the amount of dust produced.
Roger
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Posted By Geoff Dicker
I remember when I worked for British Rail in the 1980's that several rooms at the top of King's Cross station were ceiled off because anthrax spores had been found in the lath and plaster. Certainly this location would have been of Victorian construction.
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Posted By peter gotch
Dominic
HSE have published guidance on this subject. The latest indicates risk particularly to demolition workers but indicates no known case of anyone in UK construction industry sustaining anthrax in 20 years, so risk low.
Peter
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