Why Asbestos Management Means Fewer Mesothelioma Deaths

The current asbestos situation

Asbestos-related illnesses kill around 5,000 workers each year according to HSE‘s statistics. Mesothelioma is a type of asbestos-caused cancer that unfortunately, is continuing to increase year upon year. In 2016, the HSE estimate there were 2,595 mesothelioma unfortunate deaths on record. There were a similar trackable number of asbestos deaths relating to lung cancer.

There are two distinct groups that stand out when it comes to asbestos exposure. These are construction & building trade workers and metal, electrical and electronic trade workers.

Are deaths by asbestos starting to decline? Post-World War II, the nation was blissfully unaware of the illnesses asbestos had the power to cause. With the exponential growth in building projects, asbestos was widely in use. This was in use because of its insulation and fire retardant ability.

It takes a long time for mesothelioma to develop, but the great news is the UK introduced The Asbestos (Prohibitions) (Amendment) Regulations 1999, therefore banning the manufacturing and use of asbestos-containing materials after 1999.

There is also a duty of care for all property owners to manage their asbestos. This requires the constant review of asbestos materials to ensure that fibres can’t break away into the air. It also demands that property owners make all those carrying out work aware of the presence of asbestos.

Furthermore, in doing this it ensures that they can take the correct precautions.

You can read more about the duty to manage asbestos in our blog ‘What the law says about asbestos management in your property’.

Are you considering asbestos removal?

If you are considering removing asbestos from your property, it’s important that you seek our help.

Rainbow Derbyshire are qualified specialists, fulfilling all health and safety procedures whilst carrying out a removal, such as wearing all personal protective equipment and taking special care with all safety measures.

Our team can carry out asbestos removal in the category of Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW).

This includes the removal of the most common type of asbestos – chrysotile white.

A number of materials can contain asbestos. These include insulation boards, corrugated roof sheets, thermoplastic floor tiles (Marley floor tiles), damp proof membranes such as bitumen and textured coating to walls or ceilings (Artex).

Worrying about asbestos in your property? Please contact Rainbow Derbyshire on 01623 443109 or [email protected].