2 September 2004 - Dangers of Asbestos: Warning by HSE When Working on Building Refurbishing
A warning
has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to maintenance and
buildings workers and employers, with regards to the dangers of asbestos
within refurbishment of buildings.
Their warning of taking precautions in buildings where there may be
asbestos, follows the prosecution of Asahi Glass Fluoropolymers U.K. Ltd
(AGFP) of Thornton Cleveleys near Blackpool.
The company, (AGFP) appeared before Fylde Coast Magistrates' Court in
Fleetwood on Tuesday 24 August 2004, following an investigation by the HSE,
resulting in a £3,000 fine with an order to pay costs of £1,396.
AGFP pleaded guilty for their breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and
Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which states that:
It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
HSE Inspector, Peter Gray commented:
This
case highlights the need for companies to take a precautionary approach when
carrying out maintenance work on materials suspected of containing asbestos.
All such work should be carefully planned and risk assessed with prior
confirmation of any asbestos content. The work itself should be supervised
and executed by competent staff, with contingency measures in place in the
event of asbestos being inadvertently encountered. This applies not only to
the contractors carrying out the work, but also to the client who has duties
to manage the work safely.
In Britain, around half a million structures built or renovated between
1950 and 1980 still contain asbestos. Asbestos-related diseases are
currently responsible for about 3000 deaths a year in Great Britain.
Asbestos can become particularly dangerous when disturbed. If maintenance
workers are not aware, they may dislodge the deadly fibres and unwittingly
put their own health and the health of others at risk.
Some facts on the Occupational Ill Health Statistics 2003/04 published this week by HSE:
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An estimated 6,000 people (uncertainty range 3,000 to 12,000) die from cancer due to past exposures at work each year
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In 2002 over 1,800 people died from mesothelioma, a cancer caused mainly by occupational exposure to asbestos, and at least as many again from asbestos-related lung cancer
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Around 100 died from asbestosis and nearly 300 from other types of pneumoconiosis, mostly associated with coal dust and silica.
Article by Alexandra Johnston
