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Asbestos – The Hidden Killer

14/01/2014

Current Government estimates suggest that there are currently over 5000 people in the UK who are dying from asbestos related disease. We have become so use to the ‘silly' face of Health & Safety in today's media that horrific facts such as this remain unknown to the vast majority of society . Asbestos was completely banned in the UK in 1999. This of course means that many of the buildings that we work in today can and do contain asbestos materials. The Asbestos Regulations were updated in 2012 and the Health & Safety Executive have recently updated their associated Approved Code of Practice: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l143.htm

Mark Wheeldon from Practical Compliance Today said "Many people think that asbestos is a thing of the past and does not need to be managed in the present. They could not be further from the truth. Tragically health issues such as Asbestosis and Mesothelioma are present today and Employers have duties to protect employees and others from asbestos. This requires more than just having an asbestos survey. It requires the logical, proactive management of the issue along with appropriate information, instruction and training for those who may be at risk."

Practical help with asbestos training can be found here: Online Training


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