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Sussex News - Local News For East And West Sussex
Sussex News - Local News For East And West Sussex
03/11/09 Hidden Killer Warning For Tradesmen - Health and Safety Executive
Tradesmen across East Sussex are the target of a new campaign warning them to beware a hidden killer − asbestos. Every week across Britain around 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and the numbers are increasing.
Workers most at risk of exposure to asbestos are those most likely to disturb or damage it such as plumbers, joiners and electricians. It is these groups that the Health and Safety Executive is working to protect through its ‘Asbestos: The hidden killer’ campaign.
It aims to raise awareness of the risks posed by asbestos and how workers can best protect themselves.
The campaign features some of the widows of tradesmen who have died from mesothelioma − a terminal cancer caused by inhaling deadly asbestos fibres.
Pauline Bonney from Eastbourne lost her husband, John, to mesothemlioma in 1999. John was exposed to asbestos fibres while he was working as an apprentice electrician but never knew he was at risk. His widow, Pauline, volunteers with the South East Victim Support Group where she helps family members affected by the death of loved ones to asbestos-related diseases.
She said: “Regulations are in place. Please, please adhere to them. John was not the first to suffer in this way, and sadly he won’t be the last but there is hope for the young tradesmen of today.”
Anyone working on a building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000 could be exposed to asbestos without even knowing it. In the UK, around 500,000 non-domestic buildings contain asbestos and it remains a very real threat.
Heather Bryant, HSE Regional Director for the South East, said: “Asbestos is Britain’s biggest industrial killer. Contrary to what many people believe, the risks are not a thing of the past. Asbestos-related illnesses claim the lives of 4,000 people every year − more than die in road accidents.
“The most simple, but important advice is, if you are not 100 per cent certain that there is no asbestos where you are working, then don’t start work. It is not worth the risk. Think of it as not just protecting yourself, but also protecting your family and loved ones from unnecessary heartache.”
The campaign is being supported by unions, employers representatives, health charities, sufferers and victims groups.
For more information on the campaign visit www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenkiller
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