The survey showed carpenters, painters and decorators could still come into contact with asbestos on average more than 100 times a year.
The survey also revealed some common myths believed by those at risk with:
One in seven believing that drinking a glass of water will help protect them from the deadly dust.
One in four thinking that opening a window will help to keep them safe.
Only a third of those asked were able to identify all the correct measures for safe asbestos working while more than half made at least one potentially lethal mistake in trying to identify how to stay safe.

The research, undertaken by Censuswide in September 2014, shows that while more than half knew that asbestos could be in old buildings built before 1970, only 15% know that it could still be found in buildings built up to the year 2000.

HSE has launched a new safety campaign with Mark Harper, Minister responsible for Health and Safety and TradePoint.

A key feature of the campaign is the creation of a new web app for phones, tablets and laptops that helps tradespeople easily identify where they could come into contact with the deadly material as they go about their day-to-day work.

Harper said: “The number dying every year from asbestos related-diseases is unacceptably high. This safety campaign is about highlighting the risks and easy measures people can take to protect themselves.”

Philip White, HSE’s Chief Inspector for Construction, said: “Asbestos is still a very real danger and the survey findings suggest that the people who come into contact with it regularly often don’t know where it could be and worryingly don’t know how to deal with it correctly, which could put them in harm’s way.”

Unacceptable conditions and dangerous practices were found at nearly half of the 1,748 repair and refurbishment sites visited by HSE inspectors, with 1 in 5 sites so poor, formal enforcement action was required. Many of the issues found could have been easily prevented with simple, straightforward management and planning.

The focus of the initiative was on health risks and 35 per cent of the notices served were for issues such as management of asbestos, failure to control exposure to harmful dusts, noise and vibration, and insufficient welfare.

HSE’s Chief of Construction Philip White said: “These results show that whilst the majority of employers in the refurbishment sector are getting it right, a significant part of the industry is seriously failing its workers.”

“We also find health is often overlooked as its implications are not immediately visible, however the effects of uncontrolled exposure to deadly dusts such as asbestos and silica can be irreversible. We urge industry to ensure the most basic of measures such as use of protective equipment and dust suppression methods are put in place to help protect the future health of workers.”

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material which was used extensively as a building material across Great Britain until 1999 when it was banned. It remains in millions of homes and buildings today and can be found in places that you might not expect such as ceiling tiles, boilers, toilet cisterns, guttering and soffits. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, dangerous fibres are released into the air which can prove lethal if inhaled, causing lung disease and cancer.

The Beware Asbestos campaign, which was launched on 9 October and will run until March 2015, aims to encourage safe working practices among those workers most at risk from asbestos, ie tradespeople working on small sites and projects in the construction and maintenance industries. Research has shown that these workers recognise that asbestos is dangerous. However, they often do not realise when a job might expose them to asbestos and do not know what to do to protect themselves from the danger.

To raise awareness of the issue and help encourage safer working practices, HSE has teamed up with TradePoint, the trade-only outlet of B&Q, to distribute free asbestos safety kits directly to tradespeople in GB. The kits include simple information to help tradespeople identify where they could come into contact with asbestos and how they can stay safe. They also include a free pair of Type 5 disposable overalls to support safer working with asbestos.
Article courtesy of hse.gov.uk

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