Asbestos management – the need to make competent decisions

Adam Penny, public sector specialist for asbestos management company and IHEEM Company Affiliate member, Lucion Environmental, examines the responsibilities associated with reducing asbestos risk in the healthcare sector.

Arecent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) safety campaign highlighted the very serious risks to tradespeople posed by asbestos exposure. As part of the campaign, the HSE said that, on average, every week 20 tradespeople die from asbestos-related diseases, and, in the electrical sector, it is estimated that electricians and electrical fitters could come into contact with asbestos more than 70 times a year. 

Even though asbestos has been banned in building materials since late 1999, and a huge amount of it has been removed from buildings over the years, there are still many situations where the decision has been made to leave it in situ and manage its presence. The decision to ‘manage’ is not necessarily a bad one, as asbestos in good condition can be safe as long as its presence is known about, and the material is maintained.