Asbestos: Young workers urged to take risks seriously

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the risks of asbestos, with a particular focus on younger tradespeople, including those in the millennial and Gen Z generations. 

The campaign, called Asbestos and You, aims to highlight the dangers of the substance and its potential impact on people who work as scaffolders, electricians, plumbers, joiners, and in other trades.

The HSE is concerned that younger workers may not take asbestos seriously, as they may believe that the risks only affect older people who worked before the ban on asbestos in 1999. 

However, five thousand people still die from asbestos-related illnesses every year, and asbestos can still be found in buildings built or refurbished before the year 2000.

Asbestos was used extensively in the construction and maintenance of buildings in Great Britain from the 1950s until the ban. Construction workers of all ages could still be exposed to asbestos fibres today, making it essential for everyone in the construction industry to take the risk seriously.

Asbestos exposure can cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. If asbestos fibres are inhaled, they can cause significant harm, and symptoms may take 20 to 30 years to develop.

HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon stated that asbestos exposure is still the single most significant cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. Therefore, it is crucial for all workers, regardless of age, to recognise the dangers and take appropriate measures to protect themselves and others from being exposed to asbestos fibres.

The Asbestos and You campaign will target all tradespeople, particularly emphasising younger workers in trades such as plastering and joinery. 

HSE’s head of health and work policy Mike Calcutt said that it is essential for workers to know how to recognise the dangers and take the right actions to protect themselves and others from asbestos fibres.

To learn more about the Asbestos and You campaign and for guidance on asbestos, visit the HSE’s website.