Asbestos, a major killer and source of ill health
"Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibres and can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibres are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely used in many industries." Because of this, many workers may have been exposed to asbestos at some point on the job.
Sadly, asbestos has proved to be a long term cause of cancers. Even many years after working with asbestos (during extended latency of tens of years), fibres absorbed may cause serious illness. The most common diseases caused by asbestos include Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Diffuse Pleural Thickening.
Because of the long term use of asbestos, the United Kingdom has seen a marked increase in cases of the asbestos-caused cancer mesothelioma in the past 20 years. For example, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that only 153 cases of the disease were diagnosed in 1968. In 2006, the last year for which statistics are currently available, 2,056 individuals died of mesothelioma. Projections say cases of the disease in the UK will peak around 2015, with approximately 2,500 annual deaths from mesothelioma occurring around that time.
Therefore, there are obligations regarding asbestos. The Asbestos Regulations describe Duty Holders and their obligations: For example, building owners are obliged to keep a register of asbestos use within that building and whenever there is work to be done on the building, asbestos surveys to an appropriate level should be seriously considered. For further information see the HSE Asbestos website.
The HSE website also has a Step by Step approach to managing asbestos however, it is essential to have the correct level of competency for the size, type and age of building.
For more information, see
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