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Posts Tagged ‘asbestos awareness’
A Cardiff property manager has been fined for failing to properly manage the risks from asbestos at one of his premises.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Richard Hayward of Cardiff Bay over failings at the former Rhondda Pressing building, located on the Penygraig Industrial Estate.
Trading as Richard Hayward Properties, Mr. Hayward managed the property on behalf of a company called Guinevere Holdings Ltd.
Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr. Hayward had let out part of the building in 2007 but it was only in 2008, when a request to provide and asbestos survey for insurance purposes was made, that the presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB), roof tiles and brown and blue asbestos was indentified in the presence.
An HSE investigation found that there was a risk of exposure to asbestos due to the poor conditions the asbestos was found in.
The court heard that between 2005 and 2008, three companies had occupied the building. During this time, structural work had been carried out to install a partition wall and contractors were hired to carry out electrical works.
Asbestos Awareness Training – Who is it for?
Asbestos Awareness Training is for anyone who is working on the fabric of buildings, which would include anything from putting up a picture hook to large scale refurbishment. Sixteen target groups of workers that require Asbestos Awareness training have been identified at both operative and supervisor levels.
General maintenance staff, electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, painters and decorators, joiners, plasterers, demolition workers, construction workers, roofers, heating and ventilation engineers, telecommunication engineers, burglar and fire alarm installers, computer installers, architects, building surveyors, shop fitters and other such professionals are the trades at most risk.
This course meets the training requirements under regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2006.
Duration: half day
Delegate numbers: up to 15
For more information about our Asbestos Awareness Training courses, download our information sheet here:
Asbestos is responsible for more than 4000 deaths every year with approximately 20 tradesman dying each week due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Training
The word mesothelioma is no longer ‘unknown’, lately the four asbestos related diseases are being spoken of everywhere as to increase awareness of this hidden killer, but why is the asbestos topic so frightening?
Asbestos exposure can cause four main diseases; mesothelioma the most fatal, is a cancer of the lining of the lungs and is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. There is also the chance of developing asbestos related lung cancer which could be equally fatal.
Asbestosis which is a scarring of the lungs is not always fatal but can be a very debilitating disease, greatly affecting quality of life. The fourth asbestos related disease is diffuse plural thickening, a thickening of the membrane surrounding the lungs which can cause breathing problems.
The new training pledge, initiated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) in partnership with the training industry, aims to tackle the approximate 4,000 asbestos-related deaths annually in the UK.
The aim is for various training providers to pledge free hours this month (September), for 4,000 face-to-face training hours, with an additional 4,000 online training hours, for delivery over an 8-week period during October and November this year. Tradesmen (and women) in particular are being targeted, especially joiners, electricians and plumbers, as they are most likely to disturb asbestos fibres as they go about their work. The HSE estimates that around 20 trades people a week lose their lives to asbestos-related diseases.
HSE’s director for long latency health risks, Karen Clayton, says : “Our hidden killer campaign is helping tradesmen understand the lifesaving fact that asbestos exposure is not just an historical problem – around half a million public buildings still contain it. This new initiative, a continuation of the campaign, is all about finding out exactly what they (tradesmen) need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training and so prevent this hidden killer claiming another generation.”
National asbestos training provider SAFE Training, is playing its part in a Britain-wide drive to help tradesmen protect themselves from asbestos.
SAFE Training has accepted the invitation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the training industry by pledging 120 free training hours to help reach a poignant target of 4000- a number which reflects the growing number of deaths each year from asbestos-related diseases.
The free asbestos awareness training will be available throughout October and November and is aimed at tradesmen and women who are most likely to disturb the fibres as they go about their work – currently around 20 a week lose their lives to asbestos-related diseases.
Rob Blackburn from SAFE Training, a member of The Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP) said:
“We welcomed the opportunity to be involved in such a worthwhile initiative. Though there is little that can be done to help those already suffering the effects of asbestos from exposure years ago, we can help prevent this hidden killer claiming another generation by ensuring there is good quality and accessible training out there. Hopefully the 120 free hours we have pledged will make a real difference to how tradesmen approach jobs – putting their health first.”
Health and safety experts are calling for more care to be taken, when refurbishing retail premises, in a drive to protect the shop workers and customers from unnecessary risk.
In light of recent scares, members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) from the construction and retail industry are reminding retailers of the seriousness of exposing their customers to risk.
David Ackerley, chair of IOSH’s Construction Group, said: “When any retail outlet is being refurbished those involved should be aware of the potential risks that making aesthetic and structural changes can have, not only to workers, but anyone in the vicinity.
“In the current economic climate it’s understandable that people are looking to save money where they can. However, when looking to make any sort of saving, they must not put lives at risk. Shop fitting is a serious business and more care and attention needs to be taken when it comes to dealing with hazards like asbestos and respirable crystaline silica (RCS) dusts.”
Asbestos regulations can be confusing and the media frequently offers two very different viewpoints. To understand the regulations and the mechanisms behind them, it is worth taking a step back and considering why we have them in the first place.
Asbestos is an extraordinary fibrous material that is resistant to chemicals and fire and insulates against noise, heat and electricity. The individual fibres are very strong and they could be added to cement, plastics and resins. If that was not enough to ensure unprecedented usage during an age of building and development, it was also cheap. Asbestos was considered to be a ‘wonder material’.
Asbestos use increased from the mid 1800‘s as the industrial revolution demanded better and more durable insulation products. Usage did not peak until the mid 70’s. Asbestos was finally banned in 1999 after a long and tempestuous tale of political intrigue and an abominable toll on life. Asbestos is present in over 500,000 workplaces; 13,000 schools were built between 1945 and 1975; and almost 14 million homes were built between 1949 and 1999.
In the UK around 1.8million people per year are exposed to asbestos; most of these are tradesmen and those working within the building maintenance industry. Many of these have no idea that they are being exposed to asbestos, some by their own actions and some because they are in the vicinity of others unwittingly disturbing asbestos.
To advise operatives carrying out non-licensable work on asbestos of their responsibilities under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2006.
Duration: 1 day
Delegate numbers: Maximum 10
Who is it for?
Those who in the course of their work will knowingly disturb asbestos containing materials: general maintenance staff, electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, painters and decorators, joiners, plasterers, demolition and construction workers, roofers, heating and ventilation engineers, telecommunications engineers, fire and burglar alarm installers, computer installers, shop fitters, and their supervisors.
Asbestos Training
Asbestos Awareness Training Course
This course meets the training requirements under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2006.
Duration: Half day
Delegate numbers: 15-20
Venue: Your choice – One of our national SAFE Training centres, at your premises or on site
Who is it for?
Anyone who disturbs the fabric of a building built prior to 1999. This includes anything from putting up a picture hook, maintenance tasks to large-scale refurbishment.
General maintenance staff, electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, painters and decorators, joiners, plasterers, demolition workers, construction workers, roofers, heating and ventilation engineers (H&V), telecommunication engineers, burglar and fire alarm installers, computer installers, architects, building surveyors, shop fitters, other such professionals and their supervisors.
Course content
- What is asbestos? The main properties of asbestos and its effects on health
- The types and likely occurrences of asbestos in premises and plant
- General procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency
- How to avoid the risks from asbestos
Bramall Construction has taken home the most acclaimed national health and safety award in the country for helping to reduce asbestos related incidents in the workplace.
The leading community regeneration specialist, covering the North West, Cumbria and Wales, attended a glittering awards ceremony at the ICC in Birmingham where the company was awarded ‘Best Occupational Health Initiative’ in the special awards category of the National House Building Council (NHBC) awards.
The gong was the biggest achievement of the night for Bramall, in recognition of its effective asbestos-awareness training and reporting procedures.
Through the scheme, Bramall decided to open up its in-house training to sub-contractors and supply chain partners at a cost of £14 per head; which is significantly less than the £40-£80 per head cost that the vast majority were being charged by external training providers.
In this month’s column, Fireco, supplier of fire safety products, systems and services, warns of the continuing dangers of asbestos in the workplace and the implications of failing to manage it properly
If you were asked what the single greatest cause of work-related deaths is, what would your guess be? Well, it may surprise you to know that in the UK it’s asbestos, which is responsible for around 4000 deaths a year.
That may seem like a staggering number of deaths from something you’d think was banished a long time ago. But asbestos was only fully banned from use in 1999, so if your premises were built or refurbished before then, there is a possibility that asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), commonly used in floor tiles, pipe lagging, Artex, fuse boxes, rainwater pipes and central heating systems, could still be present.
The danger arises when asbestos is damaged through bumps and scrapes or destroyed by cutting, drilling or ripping, releasing airborne fibres which can be lethal. However, if properly controlled and maintained, there is no reason why materials containing asbestos cannot remain in use for many years.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 cover the ‘duty to manage’ asbestos in non-domestic premises by owners and managers and others with relevant responsibility. Landlords also have a duty of care to ensure that asbestos is managed in their properties, especially in communal areas.
Failure to comply with the asbestos regulations may mean that a prohibition notice is placed on your buildings – effectively closing down your workplace until it is confirmed as safe. The duty-holder of a commercial property could also be liable for prosecution under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations.
Source: FMX
Asbestos campaigners have 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. Take the Great British ‘Asbestos In Buildings’ Survey
Asbestos Industry News is the online voice for UK Asbestos News. The site covers information about asbestos management, asbestos surveying, asbestos removal, asbestos recruitment, asbestos claims, asbestos waste, asbestos legislation, asbestos inspection, asbestos related disease, asbestos training and much more. Visit www.asbestosindustrynews.co.uk, and subscribe to the RSS feed. or Subscribe to Asbestos Industry News by Email
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