Global Asbestos Awareness Week: 1st to 7th April 2023

Did you know?

In the UK there are more than 5,000 asbestos related deaths every year. That makes it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths, which is why it is vital that asbestos needs to be managed properly.

This month the Annual Global Asbestos Awareness Week takes place. Running from the 1st to the 7th of April, the annual campaign, aims to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and to bring people together to learn about it and share information.

Asbestos was originally used widely as insultation because of its heat and chemical resistance and over the years has been used in thousands of products and in building components from floor tiles to ceilings and walls.

Because exposure can lead to serious and often fatal cancers it was banned in 1999.

That doesn’t mean though that it no longer causes a problem – it does. Many buildings from factories and schools to hotels and hospitals can still contain asbestos and under health and safety law including the Health & Safety at Work Act (HSWA) anyone who is responsible for the maintenance of a building has a duty to prevent exposure to Asbestos.

Not complying with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) means you can risk fines and even imprisonment.

Why does asbestos need to be managed?

Essentially – it needs to be managed to help stop people dying from asbestos related diseases in the future.

We know that sounds dramatic, but it is unfortunately the harsh reality.

Asbestos fibres are small enough to pass into the lungs. They’re resistant to the normal defence processes taking place in the human body, so they remain in the lung and can often enter the lining. Over time this can cause disease

These diseases can include:

• Mesothelioma – which is almost always fatal
• Asbestos-related lung cancer- it’s estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death
• Asbestosis – this normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years
• Pleural thickening – again this normally develops after heavy exposure over a long time.

How can we help?

Here at Qube to help you protect your staff, clients and yourselves we offer a range of services to support you with asbestos related matters and management.

• We can outline the regulations and explain your responsibilities, so you know what you need to do
• We can carry out your Asbestos Management Surveys, testing & sampling.
• If you’re carrying out a refurbishment, development of a premises or if you are demolishing a building, we can help you with the relevant surveys
• Our experts also offer Asbestos Awareness Training

If you would like to find out more, please go to: www.qube-uk.co.uk/asbestos/ to see all our asbestos related services.

Contact Us

If you would like to chat anything through or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team of experts. You can call us on 0808 1080 766 or email hello@qube-uk.co.uk