Asbestos – The Invisible Killer

In 1999, the use of asbestos was banned in the UK and regulations were implemented to control asbestos. These regulations were last updated in 2012 and require all non-domestic premises to have a “duty holder” whose responsibility it is to take reasonable steps to locate any asbestos on the premises, monitor its condition, inform persons who may disturb it, have a plan for its management and keep written records regarding all this information.

What is the problem with asbestos?

Quite simply, it is a class 1 carcinogen and therefore exposure to this material can lead to fatal cancer. In fact, there are approximately five thousand deaths each year in the UK due to exposure to asbestos fibres, about three times the number of people killed on the roads.

Why is this?

Lots of people are not aware of asbestos, and it is not visible to the human eye. Asbestos fibres are between 2 and 10 microns long, (between 2/1000mm and 1/100mm), the diameter of a human hair is anywhere between 20 and 200 microns. Due to the small size of asbestos fibres, they also stay suspended in the air for an extended period, which is why you often hear asbestos referred to as the invisible killer.

So, why are we not doing something about this?

Well, fortunately, some people are. There are now strict guidelines and notification of works procedures in place to help prevent exposure to asbestos fibres and lots of businesses in the refurbishment and demolition industry comply with these legal requirements, but sadly not all.

The HSE at their AGM identified the need to raise awareness once again about asbestos and will be doing more campaigns to deal with this danger. The British media is also trying to raise awareness about asbestos, especially in public buildings like schools, hospitals and care homes built before 1999.

As awareness of these dangers is brought more to the forefront, employers will need to be even more vigilant in their duty to manage asbestos and any of their employees that may come into contact with it.  Guidance on this can be found at the HSE.

If you are looking to equip the duty holder within your workplace or maintenance team with everything they need to provide asbestos awareness training to your team, our Asbestos Awareness Train the Trainer course could be a great option. Covering things such as: types of asbestos, appropriate workplace precautions, and structuring and delivering training.