Spotlight on – asbestos disease and what WHO have to say

Asbestos – disturbing facts

• Around the world, a staggering 125 million people are exposed to asbestos at the workplace
• According to WHO (The World Health Organisation) estimates, more than 107 000 deaths each year are attributable to occupational exposure to asbestos

• In the UK, asbestos causes around 5,000 deaths

• asbestos disease remains the single cause of work-related deaths in the UK

• Asbestos isn’t yet a thing of the past – asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000
• Current estimates suggest that there are still up to 1.3 million workers are at risk of asbestos exposure

• When asbestos containing materials are disturbed, fibres are released into the air. If inhaled, they can cause serious diseases. These often take a long time to develop, and it is often too late to do anything after diagnosis.

So, is asbestos as bad as we are led to believe?

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: All forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans  and stopping the use of all forms of asbestos is the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.

Ignorance of asbestos, it’s dangers, its presence and the correct control measures

A contractor was found guilty of potentially exposing workers and shoppers to asbestos on a busy high-street construction site because he flouted the rules on working with this hazardous material. The contractor was fined for several breaches of asbestos and construction design legislation on the Bromley High Street site. In this particular case the contractor was a private individual. An HSE inspector who investigated the case, commented that the project had not been properly planned. The project involved the demolition of a building that comprised a restaurant on the ground floor with flats above it. Three workers, whose qualifications could not be proved, were overseen by the contractor. This is not an uncommon scene!

Further details about this case can be found by following this link.

asbestos disease

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