This week marks Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1–7 April 2025), a vital opportunity to shine a spotlight on the ongoing dangers of asbestos exposure.
Despite being banned in the UK over two decades ago, asbestos remains a significant health hazard. Recent studies reveal a concerning complacency among UK tradespeople regarding its dangers, highlighting the urgent need for renewed awareness and stringent safety practices.
The persistent threat of asbestos
Asbestos-related diseases continue to claim over 5,000 lives annually in the UK, including conditions such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
In 2022 alone, there were 2,257 mesothelioma deaths, with a similar number of lung cancer fatalities linked to past asbestos exposures. Additionally, 493 deaths in 2022 mentioned asbestosis on the death certificate.
Complacency among tradespeople
A survey conducted in September 2024 by High Speed Training, involving 500 UK tradespeople, uncovered alarming attitudes towards asbestos:
- 49% viewed asbestos as an issue of the past.
- 50% reported that concerns about asbestos diminished the longer they worked in their trade.
- 26% admitted to not following correct asbestos removal procedures upon encountering the material.
These findings suggest a dangerous underestimation of the risks associated with asbestos.
High-risk sectors and practices
Certain trades exhibit particularly concerning trends:
- Roofers: 54% have not adhered to recommended asbestos removal processes.
- Plasterers: 43% neglected proper procedures.
- Joiners: 43% also failed to follow guidelines.
The primary reasons cited for these lapses include the perceived high cost of proper removal (55%) and directives from supervisors to handle asbestos without professional assistance (over 25%).
The Importance of Vigilance
The misconception that asbestos is a relic of the past is dangerous. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) emphasises that asbestos remains the largest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
Awareness campaigns, such as HSE’s ‘Asbestos and You‘ aim to educate tradespeople about the ongoing risks and legal responsibilities associated with asbestos handling.
Asbestos still remains present in an estimated 1.5 million buildings across the UK.
Asbestos in UK schools
The presence of asbestos in UK schools remains a critical concern, posing significant health risks to both staff and students.
Extent of asbestos in schools
A 2019 study revealed that asbestos remains present in 80% of UK state schools. This widespread presence highlights the potential exposure risk within the educational sector.
Since 1980, it is estimated that at least 1,400 teachers and support staff, along with 12,600 former pupils, have died from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure in schools.
This horrific number of preventable deaths is set to grow as schools are allowed to fall into disrepair exposing more children and staff to danger. The report says that most of the UK’s 32,000 schools, except those built after 1999 when asbestos was finally banned, probably contain asbestos.
The Joint Union Asbestos Committee – Raising awareness of asbestos in schools
Founded in 2010, the JUAC is a non-part political group that seeks to protect education workers and pupils from the dangers of asbestos in educational building. The JUAC wants:
- An independent review of Government policy to manage asbestos rather than remove it.
- A Government audit which collects and shares data centrally on the extent, type and condition of asbestos in all educational establishments.
- A funded programme for the phased removal of all asbestos starting with the most dangerous, with completion no later than 2028.
- Government support for duty holders through provision of funded mandatory training.
- Proactive inspections by HSE to ensure that educational establishments are managing asbestos effectively.
