There can be few people in work today who have not heard about the dangers of asbestos in some manner, but despite that there are still individuals, self-employed/sole traders and small companys’ who fail to adequately consider the action that they themselves and or their employees should take if and when they come across it. There are of course many factors that come into play here; many think it is a historic problem, the perceived cost in providing for it, or a lack of education and training.
There are however no ‘second chances’ with asbestos and despite being banned in the UK 25 years ago, asbestos is still responsible for approximately 5,000 deaths in Great Britain each year. Asbestos-related diseases typically take decades for symptoms to occur following exposure and it is not always the individual who was directly exposed that pays the price. Once free, asbestos fibres can travel on clothing, materials and tools providing considerable opportunity for additional exposure to any individual that may come into contact with them.
Asbestos could be present in any building that was built or refurbished before 2000 and can be hidden within different materials, for example:
- lagging on plant and pipework
- insulation products such as fireproof panels
- asbestos cement roofing material
- sprayed coatings on structural steel work to insulate against fire and noise
These materials become dangerous when damaged or disturbed. For example, during maintenance, remediation or renovation work. That’s why HSE is running two crucial campaigns to raise awareness of the risks, providing free advice, downloadable resources and videos to help prevent exposure to asbestos fibres.
Why not check out these campaigns and make sure that you, your employee’s and or your company are operating in a safe manner and are also up to date on current legislation: Take action this Global Asbestos Awareness Week.
Here at Goldcross we also provide an e-learning:- Asbestos Awareness course.