Posts Tagged ‘asbestos inspections’
The Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011 – Now Closed
Earlier this year, 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.
The survey was developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) the organisation that currently accredits over 100 asbestos inspection bodies to carry out asbestos surveys.
The survey was promoted across all industries via the UK’s leading trade associations and trade unions, membership organisations and industry institutions. Tradesmen, building occupiers, dutyholders, clients, FM’s, property managers of non-domestic buildings were encouraged to take the survey.
We had an overwhelming response and would like to thank all of those that took the survey.
Survey findings and results are being collated and these will be available in the next couple of weeks.
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Asbestos campaigners launch asbestos awareness survey in conjunction with UKAS
British asbestos campaigners have today 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.
The survey can be taken here:
The Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011
The survey has been developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) the organisation that currently accredits over 100 asbestos inspection bodies to carry out asbestos surveys. Known as the Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011, the survey will be promoted across all industries via the UK’s leading trade associations and trade unions, membership organisations and industry institutions. Tradesmen, building occupiers, dutyholders, clients, FM’s, property managers of non-domestic buildings will be encouraged to take the survey.
According to the HSE, asbestos is responsible for an estimated 4000 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.
The Survey has the backing of high profile asbestos campaigners across the UK. Annette Brooke MP and Chair of the Asbestos in Schools Group welcomed the survey:
“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. UKAS will play its role by ensuring the questionnaire is circulated to as many individuals as possible, from all industry sectors, via Unions, Trade Associations, Industry Institutions and Membership Organisations”.
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.
Asbestos risk in HVAC sector
With the recent diagnosis of a former heating and ventilation engineer highlighting the problem of asbestos, the risk to others has been highlighted. Paul Lewis, 67, from St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, enjoyed a long career as a heating and ventilation engineer.
When he started, he worked a lot with asbestos which was widely used at the time for insulation and fireproofing, the BBC Wales website recently reported
“We were removing it from the pipework, the big hot water cylinders by just knocking if off with a hammer or using a hacksaw or any tool that you could get hold of to just get if off the appliances we were working on,” he said. Read More
Asbestos found in most schools
- Click HERE to view the full table of schools containing asbestos.
ASBESTOS is lurking in about 70 per cent of Swindon’s schools, including classrooms, halls, toilets and changing rooms. Latest figures reveal that the potentially hazardous substance is present at 54 schools in the borough.
Swindon Council says there are tight controls and regular inspections to ensure all asbestos stays safe and manageable. However, a local lawyer claims the material should be removed, claiming that any amount of exposure could cause fatal cancer.
Asbestos was once used widely as insulation in construction. However, exposure to asbestos dust can cause cancers, such as asbestosis and the fatal mesothelioma.
The use of such products was completely banned in 1999. The figures from Swindon Council show that 39 schools contain asbestos in their teaching areas.
A total of 19 have asbestos in halls and 24 have the substance in wet areas, which include toilets, changing rooms and showers.
Meanwhile, asbestos is lurking in staff-only areas at 36 schools and in the circulation areas at 15. Among the parts of the schools which contain asbestos are floors, walls, ceilings, window sills, voids, pipes, roof coverings and downpipes.
The schools with the most effected areas are Dorcan, Churchfields, Warneford, Kingsdown and The Ridgeway.
Swindon Council claims a further 25 schools are unlikely to contain asbestos – 19 were completed after its use was banned and surveys detected no asbestos at a further six.
However, the authority claims it is impossible to guarantee that any premises are asbestos free because only visible suspect material was tested to avoid unnecessary damage.
The council claims that there are no records of children being exposed to asbestos above permitted levels while at Swindon schools. Council spokesman Richard Freeman said: “As we have repeatedly pointed out, asbestos in buildings is not in any way dangerous if it is managed properly. Read More