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Network Journal 2008 Issue 2 March/April |
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Asbestos – the hidden killer
You may have noticed some of the TV or radio ads the HSE has been using to promote its ‘Asbestos – Hidden Killer’ campaign during February and March.
Asbestos is the biggest single cause of work related deaths in the UK. More than 4,000 people will die this year from asbestos-related cancer and the death toll is set to rise to more than 5,000 by 2013.
The main killer disease caused by exposure to asbestos is mesothelioma - a cancer of the lining of the chest which occurs after asbestos fibres are breathed in. It can take 30 - 40 years to show signs of illness. But this is not an old mans' disease. People are still being exposed to asbestos dust today because it was widely used in construction up to the end of the 20th Century.
Even though new use of asbestos is now banned, people can be exposed when work is done on buildings that contain the material. That is why the HSE campaign is aimed at tradesmen such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners. But other people are also at risk.
There have been at least two cases of mesothelioma in shop workers in the last five years where the exposure to asbestos happened during a major refit of the store.
All employers have a legal duty to manage asbestos materials in their buildings - to make sure it is maintained in a safe condition and to alert any tradesmen to the presence of asbestos before any structural work is started.
A video of one mesothelioma victim and his son telling their story about how it has affected their lives can be seen on the HSE website.
For more information on the campaign, the video and asbestos visit the HSEs website at: www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
www.usdaw.org.uk/healthandsafety
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