Asbestos still a major concern
Jan 1, 2010
Although the importation of white asbestos was prohibited in 1999, and brown and white asbestos in 1985, asbestos still remains the biggest single industrial killer. Although there is specific legislation in place, and the HSE runs awareness campaigns, cases of workers being exposed to hazardous asbestos fibres continue to regularly feature in news items.
In August 2009, a company was fined £12,000, with £28,000, costs after its employees carrying out refurbishment work in a factory were exposed to asbestos fibre. A survey of the factory had been carried out but not of the plant and equipment. The workers discovered suspect material within a furnace but continued to work, breaking up the suspect material and releasing dust and fibres into the environment.
In July 2009, Fife Council was fined £10,000 and a building maintenance contractor was fined £3,700, after work to replace water tanks in a property owned by the council, exposed the contractors and members of the public to asbestos containing materials. Following this case, the HSE warned property owners to keep accurate records of asbestos contained in their properties and to pass this information on to contractors who might come into contact with them. Contractors should hold the appropriate licences and competencies to work on asbestos.
Many thousands of tonnes of the asbestos used in UK buildings between 1950 and 1985 still remain in place. One of the most common and easily accessible locations for asbestos containing materials is in asbestos cement corrugated roof sheeting, panelling and guttering. This material is often overlooked but needs to be managed as much as higher risk materials located in more inaccessible areas of a building. Property managers need to know where asbestos containing materials are present in their buildings and manage these materials accordingly.
