Protecting workers from Asbestos harm, a crucial conversation at Labour Party Conference

Chaired by British Safety Council’s Chairman, Peter McGettrick, the fringe brought together leading voices in the campaign to remove Asbestos and protect lives.  

British Safety Council has long been a leading voice in ensuring that workers are protected from the risks of Asbestos, understanding that its potency makes it one of the leading occupational health and safety challenges of our age. Whether it remains a leading issue for the next generation very much depends on the decisions taken by the Government today.  

We know that each year an estimated 5,000 deaths are linked to historic Asbestos exposure, despite a full ban being introduced in the UK in 1999. Across our public estate, and in our homes, ageing and poorly managed Asbestos is placing lives at risk. As the nature of work changes and more of our homes become our places of work too, the challenge evolves to include new exposure risks in new and unregulated settings.  

Joining Peter McGettrick on the panel were: Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability (whose portfolio includes the Health and Safety Executive), John Richards - Director of Asbestos Information CIC, Liz Darlinson MBE DL - CEO of Mesothelioma UK, and Sarah Kilpatrick - President of the National Education Union (NEU).  

Nature and scale of the problem:  

To many, Asbestos is yesterday’s problem, one which was solved by the aforementioned ban in 1999. Asbestos Information CIC’s event highlighted the painful reality that Asbestos is very much a problem of today, and it will remain a problem until action is taken by the Government.  

Without immediate action, new exposure from public buildings and homes could risk elongating this crisis into the next century, with thousands more workers, students, and members of the public exposed to life-limiting fibres which rob them of their future.  

In recognition of the nature of the risk faced by workers and others (including students), the event provided participants and attendees with a timely opportunity to discuss the risks and agree on a potential way forward, working towards a future where Asbestos-related fatalities are relegated to the annals of history.  

Government response:  

Minister Sir Stephen Timms MP was keen to highlight the progress made by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) since the election of the Labour Government in July 2024.  

This was followed by new Ministerial commitments, including: “By the end of this year, the HSE plans to publish a comprehensive research plan of the key gaps identified at the Summit [an event recently hosted by the HSE in Manchester].”  

Further to this, and perhaps more importantly, Sir Stephen announced the Government’s intention to commission a “one-off Asbestos census”; work for which will be carried out over the coming year.  

There was news on a regulatory front too, with Sir Stephen noting that the HSE would be working on the reform of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (2012), with proposals being brought forward either later this year or early next year.  

Campaigners at the event, both on the panel and in the audience, were critical of this approach, arguing that these steps don’t go far enough to protect people from Asbestos-related risks. For many, this seemed like a step forward, but to those who have followed the issue closely, it appeared to be a tonal shift away from a 40-year strategy of phased removal, which had been the principal recommendation of a Work and Pensions Select Committee report published under Sir Stephen’s chairmanship.  

Liz Darlinson MBE, a Mesothelioma nurse and CEO of Mesothelioma UK, made a powerful speech which underscored the human cost behind Government inaction. She argued that all too often, Asbestos awareness and response fall to the charitable sector, which lacks the resources or powers to deliver the outcomes needed to prevent exposure and which would allow “…us to do better for the people living with the consequences now.” 

A crumbling public estate, from schools to hospitals, prisons to police stations, risks exposing a new generation to asbestos-related harms; this much is well known. The long latency of Asbestos-related illnesses, such as Mesothelioma and Asbestosis, means symptoms may not be fully seen until 20 or 30 years after initial exposure. Children exposed to Asbestos in their classrooms today may not exhibit symptoms until the early 2050s.  

Sarah Kilpatrick, who is both President of the NEU and an art teacher, spoke passionately about the need to protect children, young people and school staff from Asbestos, which is found in schools the length and breadth of the UK. Sarah noted that an estimated “80% of schools in England contain Asbestos.” This begins to underscore the scale of the challenge and the need for immediate action.  

Sarah finished with a question, which also seems to be a perfect ending to this piece: “How can we afford not to remove Asbestos?”  

Matthew Winn is Policy and Communications / Public Affairs Manager at the British Safety Council