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| Asbestos - The Hidden Killer  Do you know where asbestos is located in your building? Are you and your company compliant with the regulations and legislation? The HSE has just re-launched their campaign about the dangers of asbestos. Figures show that asbestos related deaths are increasing in the UK. It has been revealed that in excess of 35, 000 people have died from an asbestos related disease within the past 10 years. The Health and Safety Executive said every week across Britain about 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and the numbers are rising. The HSE said plumbers, joiners and electricians were most at risk. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks posed by asbestos and how workers can best protect themselves.What is asbestos and what are the risks? For centuries, asbestos has been used in buildings all over the world. Convenient, strong and heat-resistant, it is a naturally-occurring substance – with fatal effects. Asbestos is known to be present in more than 500,000 buildings in the United Kingdom. The material was extremely popular in construction between the 1950s and 80s, a real growth period for big cities and business buildings. If a building pre-dates 2000, it is likely to contain asbestos or asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos can be found anywhere in a building. It was commonly incorporated in textured coatings, cement products, floor tiles, textiles, lagging, insulation boards, and composites. You might find these on the inside of the building (such as ceiling panels, wall coatings, and pipe insulation) or outside the building (such as cement panels). So what do the Asbestos regulations mean to me? Anyone with responsibility for a building containing asbestos has a 'duty to manage' the asbestos, under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006). They introduce an explicit duty on anyone who has responsibility to maintain or repair non-domestic premises to manage the asbestos there safely. This person is called the "duty-holder". So what should I do next? Does your building contain asbestos? Remember if it was built prior to 2000, you should assume that it contains asbestos somewhere. Is there a management plan in place? Has a survey been conducted to identify any asbestos containing materials, by a competent person? If the answer is no, or you are uncertain, please don't delay call Lancall now for free independent advice on this 'Hidden Killer'. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Construction News :: home page |