Asbestos awareness survey

20 April 2011

British asbestos campaigners launched a national survey exploring general awareness and understanding of asbestos in buildings and the regulations designed to protect UK workers from being exposed to asbestos in their workplace.

Known as the Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011, it has been developed in conjunction with UKAS (United Kingdon Accreditation Service), the organisation that currently accredits over 100 asbestos inspection bodies to carry out asbestos surveys. It is being promoted across all industries via the UK's leading trade associations and trade unions, membership organisations and industry institutions. Tradesmen, building occupiers, dutyholders, clients, property managers of non-domestic buildings as well as FMs are being encouraged to take the survey.
To complete the survey CLICK HERE
According to the HSE, asbestos is responsible for an estimated 4,000 deaths each year and is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Results are expected to give an insight into awareness of the ‘Duty to Manage Asbestos’ and highlight areas for raising awareness of the risks of asbestos in the workplace.
Annette Brooke MP and Chair of the Asbestos in Schools Group welcomed the survey. She said, "This survey is a welcome step in the right direction. It is so vital that we highlight the dangers surrounding asbestos and I hope that participation in this survey is as wide as possible
John Richards, Managing Director of analytical and surveying firm, Thames Laboratories said, "With recent public sector funding cuts and the Government's review of Health and Safety, we are concerned that this important subject maybe overlooked. Currently in the UK, more people are dying from asbestos exposure than in road accidents and yet our approach to asbestos still ranges from apathy to paranoia. Recent conflicting reports produced from ATAC and HSE, and the issues of low level asbestos exposure, have led to the development of this research project, aimed at establishing what is really happening".
Jon Murthy, Marketing & Communications Manager at UKAS said, "This is the first industry initiative of its kind in which UKAS has participated and we hope to see this repeated annually to measure what improvements are happening within the asbestos sector. ".
The survey results will be published in a report in the summer 2011 via the campaign website www.asbestosinspectionbodies.co.uk and should highlight the issues arising from the most comprehensive review of the subject to date.