Keeping people safe

February 2nd 2024

Workplace watchdog the Health and Safety Executive has launched a new campaign aimed at keeping people safe from asbestos that may be hidden in buildings they use in their daily lives.

Asbestos has been banned since 1999 but it still exists in buildings constructed before that date. If disturbed it can release deadly fibres can over time can cause the often-terminal mesothelioma and lung cancer.

It can take decades before the conditions emerge and currently around 5,000 deaths a year are attributed to exposure to asbestos – making it the greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.

Entitled “Asbestos: Your Duty” the new campaign aims to improve understanding of who has the legal duty to manage asbestos and what that duty entails.

This legal duty to manage asbestos covers a wide range of buildings such as museums, schools, hospitals, and places of worship, as well as workplaces like offices and factories.

People who visit or work in these buildings will not be exposed if asbestos is properly contained. But it can become dangerous when disturbed or damaged.

Businesses and organisations responsible for premises built before the turn of the century, and especially those between 1950 and 1980 when the use of asbestos in construction was at its peak, must carry out the necessary checks and understand their legal responsibilities.

The risk can be particularly acute where renovation or demolition of a building is being carried out.

Throughout 2024 HSE inspectors will check how asbestos is managed when visiting a range of buildings – like factories, schools and hospitals – requiring those responsible for managing asbestos risks to ensure they have the right arrangements in place.

Simply failing to have an asbestos plan in place can lead to a fine of up to £20,000 and six months imprisonment. For a serious breach of regulations, the consequences can be far greater – an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment.

Eton Environmental group offers a full range of accredited services including inspections, surveys, and training to ensure building owners and those responsible for building safety comply with current legislation.

Details of the new Health and Safety Executive campaign including an information video can be found at: https://youtu.be/ldaCjNzOOOw