The first week of April is Global Asbestos Awareness Week. Asbestos remains in millions of homes and buildings today and can become dangerous, even fatal, if disturbed or damaged.
The HSE is currently running two campaigns:
- Asbestos and You highlights the risk of asbestos to tradespeople such as builders, plumbers and maintenance workers.
- Asbestos – Your Duty to raise awareness of the legal duty to manage asbestos in buildings
Read on to find out more about these two campaigns and the free resources available to employers to help raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos.
Asbestos and You campaign
HSE’s Asbestos and You campaign urges tradespeople to stay aware of hidden asbestos and protect themselves and others from exposure to asbestos fibres during their work.
Every tradesperson is likely to undertake work in a building that contains asbestos at some point. Those carrying out repairs or refurbishment work are at a higher risk of disturbing asbestos, especially when working in houses built before the year 2000.
For more information about what to look for and what to do when you come across asbestos:
- download the quick guide for trades
- view Asbestos Essentials task sheets
- watch the video Silent Killer: the tragic story of asbestos victims
- download campaign assets to share on your channel
Asbestos – Your Duty campaign
What buildings does the duty to manage asbestos apply to?
The campaign aims to reach those responsible for maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings built before the year 2000.
This includes factories, warehouses, offices and shops; and public buildings like hospitals, schools, premises used for religious worship, museums and libraries.
To comply with the law, asbestos in these buildings must be properly managed. Watch HSE’s short video that outlines the steps to the duty to manage asbestos in buildings.
A range of free resources is available from the HSE to support those with the legal duty to manage asbestos:
- download HSE’s digital poster with all our duty to manage asbestos resources at the click of a button
- view HSE’s guidance and asbestos management plan template
- share HSE’s campaign assets on your channels
Not sure if you have the legal duty?
Answer a few questions to help you identify who has the legal duty to manage asbestos.