The asbestos crisis: why Britain needs an eradication law
A cross-party group of MPs have called for the eradication of all the remaining asbestos in Britain’s workplaces and public buildings.
A report by the all-party parliamentary group on occupational safety and health calls for regulations requiring the safe phased and planned removal of all the remaining asbestos in Britain.
The parliamentary group found asbestos is still a serious threat. This year, according to official figures, 5,000 people in Britain are likely to die prematurely as a result of asbestos exposure. This is around three times the number of road accident deaths.
Simple regulations for managing asbestos in the workplace, however good, will never protect workers from risk. So long as asbestos is found in any place where someone could be exposed there will be a danger. The group point out that the only way to eradicate mesothelioma in Britain is by removing asbestos. That will not be easy and there is a need for a realistic timetable, but work towards that should start now, they say.
In the report, the group calls for:
- all commercial, public, and rented domestic premises should have to conduct, and register with the HSE, a survey done by a registered consultant which indicates whether asbestos containing material is present, and, if so, where it is and in what condition, to be completed no later than 2022
- where asbestos is identified in any premises, all refurbishment, repair or remedial work done in the vicinity of the asbestos containing material should include the removal of the asbestos. Where no such work takes place, or is planned within the foreseeable future, the dutyholder must develop and implement a plan for the removal of all asbestos which ensures that removal is completed as soon as is reasonably practical but certainly no later than 2035. In the case of public buildings and educational establishments, such as schools, this should be done by 2028
- the HSE, local authorities and other enforcing agencies must develop a programme of workplace inspections to verify that all asbestos containing material identified is properly marked and managed, and that asbestos eradication plans are in place and include, as part of the plan, an acceptable timeframe for the eradication. Resources should be made available to the enforcing agencies to ensure that they can ensure that all workplaces and public places are complying with the regulation relating to management and removal, and that disposal is being done responsibly and safely
- before any house sale is completed, a survey should be done which includes a survey of the presence of asbestos. Any asbestos containing material should be labelled. Information on the presence of asbestos should be given to any contractor working on the house.
Ian Lavery, chair of the all-party group said “There is far too much complacency about the asbestos which we can still find in hundreds of thousands of workplaces as well as a majority of schools where children face exposure to this killer dust. We believe that the Government needs to start now on developing a programme to ensure that asbestos is safely removed from every workplace and public place so that we can end, once and for all this dreadful legacy which has killed so many people, and will continue to kill until asbestos is eradicated.”
The asbestos crisis: why Britain needs an eradication law
A cross-party group of MPs have called for the eradication of all the remaining asbestos in Britain’s workplaces and public
Safety & Health Practitioner
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A survey and report, with plan for eradication for all rental properties? Really? Approximately 4 million private rental properties, with (probably) around 3/4 of these single property landlords, who are not employers, self-employed or otherwise connected to ‘work’ any more than owner-occupied premises are (yes there is a duty of care and the Housing Act standards apply . . enforced by EHOs not the HSE). No evidence to actually attribute level of risk of exposure to asbestos within domestic premises – lets concentrate on the real priority – schools – and see how we get on. Someone’s up for a… Read more »
[…] The asbestos crisis: why Britain needs an eradication law – and that disposal is being done responsibly and safely before any house sale is completed, a survey should be done which includes a survey of the presence of asbestos. Any asbestos containing material should be labelled. Information on the presence of … […]