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Key Health & Safety Issues

Asbestos

Asbestos is the greatest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Asbestos was used extensively as a building material in the UK between the 1950s and the mid-1980’s, however any type of building built before 2000 can contain asbestos. While asbestos in good condition is not harmful as such, it becomes highly dangerous once the material is damaged and a person breathes in the asbestos fibres.

Inhaling the fibres can cause deadly diseases currently resulting in more than 4,000 deaths a year. The figure is expected to rise over the next 10 years. The three main diseases caused by asbestos are lung cancer, asbestosis (scarring of the lung), and mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lung). However, symptoms of these diseases often do not show up clinically for 15 - 60 years after first exposure to asbestos dust. Most people with asbestos related diseases were exposed to elevated concentrations on the job. According to an estimate a quarter of the people dying from asbestos related diseases are building workers having worked mainly in repair and maintenance.

New Asbestos Regulations

In November 2006, the new Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 came into effect. The Regulations bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing. Some of the main points of the Regulations are:

·       Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 places a duty on whoever has control of a building to take reasonable steps to investigate whether the building contains asbestos, what condition it is in, assess the risk and make a plan to manage that risk. The results of such investigation must be recorded and made available to everyone working on these materials.

• Employers must not carry out any demolition, maintenance or any other work which may expose workers to asbestos unless it has been established whether or not asbestos is present (Regulation 5).

• Following from this, Regulation 7 asks that no work should be carried out on asbestos without a written plan of work how the work and risks will be managed.

·       For each employee who is exposed to asbestos employers have to ensure the employees are under appropriate medical surveillance and keep the health record for at least 40 years (Regulation 22).  

·       It is prohibited to import, supply and use of all forms of asbestos. This continues the ban introduced for blue and brown asbestos in 1985 and for white asbestos in 1999. Also the second-hand use of asbestos products such as asbestos cement sheets and asbestos boards and tiles remain banned.

·       Note that the ban applies to new use of asbestos. Existing asbestos that is in good condition may be left in place, but its condition needs to be monitored and managed to ensure it is not damaged.

·       The Asbestos Regulations also include the ‘duty to manage asbestos’ (in non-domestic premises). The ‘duty to manage’ includes a variety of requirements, such as mandatory training for anyone that could be exposed to asbestos fibres at work and prevention of exposure to asbestos fibres as reasonably practicable.

• There is a new, lower exposure limit of 0.1 fibres per cm3 averaged over any continuous 4 hour period and 0.6 fibres per cm3 of air averaged over any continuous 10 minute period.
• Respiratory protective equipment is an important component of the control regime, and it must be suitable and fit properly
• Under the Regulations most asbestos removal work must be undertaken by a licensed contractor. If the work is licensable a number of additional duties arise (such as the notification of the enforcing authority). There are some circumstances under which work can be exempt from licensing (e.g. low intensity and sporadic exposure, short, non-continuous maintenance activities). 

What to do if you find asbestos

UCATT policy is to STOP WORK if you believe at any point you are working on asbestos. Get it checked out.

You can find asbestos:

• As a sprayed insulating coating on steelwork and concrete
• As lagging on pipes and boilers
• As insulation board in walls, on doors and ceilings
• As asbestos cement for roof and wall coverings, pipes and tanks
• In some decorative plaster

Before work starts

Your employer must identify the asbestos, the steps to be taken to prevent exposure, to reduce exposure, to monitor exposure and to dispose of waste correctly. They must decide if any work needs to be carried out by a licensed contractor. All workers likely to be exposed to asbestos have a right to be given full information, instruction and training. Respiratory protection is needed and you must be trained in its use. The employer must provide a class HEPA vacuum cleaner to vacuum up dust. There must be adequate washing and changing facilities, and protective clothing (usually disposable). Never take protective clothing contaminated with asbestos home for washing.

Register your exposure

If you have been exposed to asbestos get this fact recorded by your doctor in your medical notes. If you are a UCATT member you should also have your exposure recorded on the UCATT Asbestos Register.  The information provided by you can then be used by UCATT to make a claim on your behalf. Click here to download the UCATT Asbestos Registration form. Fill in all the details, sign it and return it by post to the address on the last page of the form.