October 31, 2008—The UK’s Health and Safety Executive is running a campaign, Asbestos: The Hidden Killer, through October and November that aims to reduce the rising death rate by educating today’s tradesmen about the danger that asbestos presents to them.
According to HSE, exposure to asbestos is the largest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK, with around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related disease. The overall number of deaths is rising because a large number of workers who were exposed to asbestos dust around 40 years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer, or other asbestos-related diseases.
HSE says that 1,000 (25%) of the 4,000 now dying each year are tradesmen, and while the number of deaths in traditional industries has plateaued, deaths in trades continue to rise. HSE says every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases. The campaign is considered vital because research shows that only one in ten tradesmen knows that exposure to asbestos can prove fatal.
If asbestos-containing material is in good condition and in a position where it cannot be disturbed or damaged, it is safer to leave it where it is and ensure that the risks are managed, says HSE. Those responsible for managing building maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings have a duty to inform tradesmen if asbestos is present in a building they are working in. Depending on the type of asbestos-containing material, and providing they have been trained and the proper controls are in place, they may be able to work on the project. Asbestos sprayed coatings, board, or lagging on pipes and boilers should only be tackled by licensed workers, asserts HSE.
