Asbestos remains number one killer

Tragically asbestos remains
the single biggest cause of
work-related deaths in the
UK, with more than 4000
people continuing to die each
year from asbestos-related
diseases. And that number,
according to Health and
Safety Executive (HSE), is
predicted to increase to peak
around 2016.

The British Safety Council
(BSC), strongly supports the
‘Hidden Killer’ campaign
recently launched by HSE to
underline the severity of the
threat that exposure to
asbestos poses, particularly to
workers in construction and
building maintenance sectors.

It is a commonly held view
that the danger from asbestos
is well known and therefore
no longer widespread. This is
a dangerous misperception.

Any building constructed or
refurbished before 2000 could
contain asbestos. As you read
this there is the real
possibility that the building
you are in may contain
asbestos. And asbestos is
dangerous when disturbed.

Men and women working in
construction and other
sectors continue to be at risk
from coming into contact
with asbestos, often without
their knowledge.

To Julie Nerney, the BSC’s
chief executive, the message is
clear: “BSC is determined to
play its part in drawing
employers, property owners
and occupiers and workers’
attention to the ‘Hidden
Killer’ campaign and create a
far broader understanding of
the dangers posed by
asbestos. It is essential that we
help create the environment
where contractors, occupiers
and workers understand and
recognise the dangers and
take appropriate precautions
to avoid coming into contact
with asbestos.”