Health, Safety & Quality Consultancy
New research reveals that nearly half of tradespeople view asbestos as a problem of the past.
It is 25 years since asbestos was banned in the UK, but it is not a problem of the past. Asbestos may still be present in buildings built, or refurbished, before 2000.
Follow the guidance on Asbestos and keep yourself and employees safe.
According to a recent survey, commissioned by an independent training provider, over a quarter of respondents (26%) also stated that they have not followed the correct removal procedures when they have encountered asbestos.
Reasons people are putting their lives at risk could include:
5,000 people a year die from past exposure to asbestos. It can take 20 to 30 years for symptoms to develop and, although there is no safe exposure to fibres, repeated exposures significantly increase your risk of getting ill. Some asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, are almost always fatal.
No matter what safety equipment you have, if you’re not adequately trained, you shouldn’t be working with asbestos. It is illegal to work on asbestos containing materials without proper training.
Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from harm. That means assessing the risk of disturbing asbestos and controlling the risks. If there isn’t enough information, employers need to arrange a sample survey and analysis to determine the presence, type and condition of asbestos.
Discovering asbestos on a job does mean you need to take extra steps, but the cost of ignoring it is significant both to people’s lives, but also your finances and reputation.
For more information, instruction and training with regards to asbestos please visit the HSE website.