The WPJ blog

Would you be shocked to learn asbestos is responsible for 14 people dying each day in the UK? A large part of that number relates to the construction sector, which includes heating and ventilating engineers and plumbers. April 1st through the 7th is Global Asbestos Awareness week to help raise awareness and prevent asbestos related disease.

While this statistic may be a result of too little understanding and protection in years gone by, Britain’s deadly asbestos legacy remains a threat to those who simply aren’t aware of the dangers or don’t know how to handle the material. “Despite the best efforts of many workplace health campaigns on the dangers, current training methods are often insufficient for many, simply because the training doesn’t seem to address their industry,” explained John Toms, director of asbestos services at the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM). “Mandatory asbestos awareness training across the sector really must include practical elements and be tailored to specific job roles.

So when are you most at risk? The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) offers the following advice.

When:

• The building you are working on was built before the year 2000
• You are working on an unfamiliar site
• Asbestos-containing materials were not identified before the job was started
• Asbestos-containing materials were identified but this information was not passed on by the people in charge to the people doing the work
• You haven’t done a risk assessment
• You don’t know how to recognise and work safely with asbestos
• You have not had appropriate information, instruction and training

If you have asbestos in your home and are looking to get it removed, reach out to our friends at Asbestech 0845 680 6972

¹ Protect your workforce against asbestos with training ‘shake up’ this Global Asbestos Awareness Week Accessed on-line 1 April 2016 http://hvpmag.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3979/Protect_your_workforce_against_asbestos_with_training__91shake_up_92_this_Global_Asbestos_Awareness_Week.html