Although the UK has a framework for managing asbestos in buildings, a proposed new Asbestos Information Certificate rating dutyholder compliance with the relevant legal duties would place greater emphasis on ensuring building owners are adequately reducing the risk to occupants and tradespeople.
By Mick Dawson, ATaC on 05 September 2024
The UK has the worst record on mesothelioma deaths (a cancer solely attributed to past asbestos exposure) in the world, primarily because the UK imported more asbestos per capita than any other country.
By Charles Pickles, Airtight on Asbestos on 05 September 2024
There are growing concerns about the heightened risk of asbestos exposure in schools and hospitals, but the UK is falling behind Europe in tackling the problem of asbestos in non-domestic buildings.
By Mesothelioma UK and University of Sheffield on 05 September 2024
The sudden and alarming appearance of silicosis cases among engineered stone workers in the UK, against the backdrop of a ban in Australia and in some US States, has suddenly brought the question of how to regulate for health protection in the workplace to the fore.
By Kevin Bampton, BOHS on 04 September 2024
Asbestos was widely used in construction throughout the 20th Century, before finally being banned in 2000 – 50 years after the causal link with lung disease was made.
By Wayne Bates, NASUWT on 04 September 2024
Clinicians at the Royal Brompton hospital in London have warned about the dangers of silica exposure in a recent study published in Thorax. They are currently treating the first identified cases of silicosis caused by working with engineered stone in the UK and have called for a ban on artificial stone to ward off the potential for an increase in silicosis cases.
By Jim Shannon MP on 04 September 2024
Assessments of background asbestos levels in UK buildings may be providing employers with a false sense of reassurance. The UK also looks set to fall behind Europe in reducing the risks the substance poses to building occupants and workers.
By Colette Willoughby, Asbestos Compliance Limited on 30 August 2024
If you are in the market for a new kitchen, you will come across engineered stone or ‘quartz’ worktops. Cheap, premium, luxury are words that will be thrown around photos and videos lingering on expanses of shiny, multicoloured stone. But not in Australia, where since July new engineered stone worktops have been banned (although some states allow a six-month transition period).
By Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle on 30 August 2024
When workers are exposed to hazardous substances like dusts, it may be necessary to carry out air monitoring to check both employees’ personal exposure levels and the general effectiveness of control measures. But it’s essential to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the different types of sampling equipment used.
By Tim Turney, Casella Solutions on 29 August 2024
A recycling company that specialises in supplying biomass fuel derived from waste wood has been fined £160,000 for endangering the long-term health of its workers by exposing them to excessive wood dust.
By Kerry Reals on 05 June 2024
