Asbestos can be found in any residential or industrial building that was built or refurbished before 2000.
It is in many of the materials that are commonly used throughout the building trade, with workers likely to come across it at some point.
It can also be found in sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls and beams, as well as in lagging on boilers and pipes, Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) ceiling tiles and in many other commonly used building materials.
Why is it dangerous?
Asbestos kills 5000 workers every year, with approximately 20 tradesmen dying every week due to past exposure to asbestos.
When materials containing asbestos are damaged or disturbed, fibres are released. If those fibres are inhaled, they can cause serious health issues. Diseases can be contracted, though many take a long time to develop. However, these diseases can be fatal, including;
- Asbestos-related lung cancer
- Pleural thickening
- Asbestosis
- Mesothelioma
The legal requirements relating to asbestos
If employees are working with specific hazards and are undertaking certain activities at work, then employers have a legal requirement to ensure that all employees are under medical supervision by a doctor that is appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The appointed doctor will make employers aware of any potential or emerging health issues in order for the reviewing of risk assessments and to make sure that risks to the health of employees are controlled correctly.
Harrow Health Care
At Harrow Health Care, we offer asbestos medicals for people working in the industry. These medicals are vitally important for workers in the trade industry or who may be exposed to asbestos, ensuring that there are no emerging health concerns to worry about.
We also offer a range of other occupational health services, which can be found here: http://bit.ly/2Zmvofm
For more information, contact our expert team today.
