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WORK RELATED DISEASES


ASBESTOS: THE DEADLIEST THREAT


Asbestos remains the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, yet misconceptions around the deadly substance persist, with many people believing it to be a ‘legacy’ issue affecting those who have historically worked in heavy industry. Tracey Boyle, President of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), explains why asbestos continues to pose a threat to workers and how this hazard can be controlled.


BANNED –


BUT STILL A THREAT The supply and use of asbestos in the UK has been prohibited by law, using a phased approach, from 1985 – with a final ban in 1999. Asbestos was used in abundance between 1940 and 1970, particularly in heavy industry and construction, and for this reason it is often thought of as a problem of the past.


Although many of the deaths occurring now are indeed the result of exposures to asbestos in the past, the substance still remains a problem today, given the large number of buildings in the UK that still contain asbestos.


Asbestos is the greatest cause of work- related deaths in the UK and around 5,000 people each year die as a result of an asbestos-related disease. Deaths have continued to rise in recent years, and worldwide, it is predicted that asbestos diseases will claim the lives of 2million people by 2030.


Asbestos can be present in any building constructed or refurbished up to the year 2000, including houses, factories, offices, schools, and hospitals.


As a result, asbestos can affect people from an unpredictable range of backgrounds, with the material potentially present in diverse materials such as lagging, floor tiles and roofing felt. Certainly, anyone involved in the construction, maintenance and refurbishment of buildings can be at risk, but there are also cases of teachers, health care personnel and


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and esteemed history of providing leadership on asbestos, having developed the first major asbestos competency qualifications – the well-known Proficiency or P modules on asbestos.


office workers who have died from asbestos-related diseases.


PEACE OF MIND FOR


DUTY HOLDERS For premises that contain asbestos, the ‘duty holder’ – i.e. the owner of the premises, or the person in charge of the maintenance or repair of the premises – has a legal responsibility to manage the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).


In order to do so, the duty holder may need to seek professional help, and this can be provided by specialist consultancies.


However, it is absolutely vital that consultancy personnel are qualified to the highest standards in asbestos management so that duty holders can have peace of mind in the service they receive.


BOHS, as the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, has a long


Over the years, BOHS has expanded its range of courses as part of its mission to improve competence in occupational hygiene skills, in order to achieve the vision of ‘a healthy working environment for everyone’. Most recently, the Society launched three new one-day asbestos refresher courses (coded RP402; RP404; RP405) aimed at asbestos surveyors, analysts and duty holders.


COMPETENCE IS KEY All too often when the management of ACMs goes wrong, it is the key issue of competence which is central to the problem.


The HSE advises that if high risk ACMs, e.g. pipe insulation and asbestos insulating boards, need to be sealed, encapsulated or removed, duty holders will need to employ a licensed contractor. In the case of lower risk materials, for example asbestos cement sheets and roofing, then an unlicensed but competent contractor may carry out the work.


What is important, in all situations, is that the correct level of professional expertise should be accessed, ensuring peace of mind for the duty holder and, most crucially, the protection of the health of the workers and others who may be affected by ACMs.


www.bohs.org www.tomorrowshs.com


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