Asbestos
Asbestos is recognised today as by far the largest
occupational killer in the UK.
Industrial deaths even exceed those from road accidents.
Asbestos deaths in the UK are currently over 5,500 a year
and still rising.
Nearly all our buildings in the UK will have some
Asbestos containing materials in them, as late as the mid
1980s there were no effective official bans and the use of
Asbestos in buildings was not totally banned until 1999! In
the 50s 60s and 70s alone 20 million tonnes were imported
into the UK. There is still a lot of it out there!
What you have to do:‐
Train your employees in
awareness/management of asbestos.
Survey the buildings you
control and manage the asbestos.
Why you should do it:‐
You have a duty of care to your employees, other
organisations employees and the public. Remember ignorance
of the law is no defence in court.
Fines on organisations can be unlimited and fines can be
up to £20,000 on responsible individuals. Directors can be
disqualified and premises closed. |