Nearly half of us have knowingly lived and worked with asbestos

Posted: 18th May 17 10:24 AM

A recent survey by Midlands Asbestos Solutions has revealed that 40% of people have knowingly lived, worked or owned a building that was affected by asbestos, suggesting that nearly half of us have been exposed to asbestos during our lifetimes.

The survey also revealed that many people are unaware that victims of asbestos can apply for compensation if they develop an asbestos-related disease.

Asbestos removal

The removal of asbestos is a vital job, and you should never attempt to remove or encapsulate asbestos without the advice and assistance of a specialist team. Many homes built before the 1980s often contain asbestos, common places to find asbestos include in insulation materials on pipework and boilers, ceiling tiles and ceiling panels, artex, floor tiles and lino flooring, flash pads and casings for electrical wires, roof sheets and roof tiles. More shockingly, asbestos can be found in older vehicle brake linings and clutch pads – and the survey shows 86.7% of the public weren’t aware of this.

Without the correct education, people are leaving themselves exposed to the risks of asbestos including cancer. The survey revealed that 73.3% of the public weren’t aware that as part of your workers’ rights, you’re entitled to get copies of any test results that find and measure hazards such as asbestos. If you haven’t already, obtain a copy of these records from your workplace so you are covered if you ever become ill due to asbestos exposure in the future. At Midlands Asbestos Solutions, they’re pushing the message of “Asbestos Awareness” in a bid to educate people about the effects, and more importantly your rights if you are affected.

You can see the results of the full survey by clicking here.

Asbestos risks

Jay Blake, the office manager at Midlands Asbestos Solutions said: “It’s really important to understand and be aware of the risks from asbestos. The type of material that asbestos has been put in and its condition are key to this. For example, a standard cement garage in good condition located in a domestic garden will not pose the same exposure risks as substantially degraded pipe insulation in a boiler room with debris on the floor. The garage will pose no direct risk whereas the pipe insulation will pose a much higher risk of exposure. Knowing what asbestos you have and how to deal with it safely is really important – which is why it pays to leave it to the experts.”

Midlands Asbestos Solutions run an asbestos awareness course, with the intention of helping employees avoid carrying out work that will disturb asbestos containing materials. For advice on removing, encapsulating or training your staff about asbestos, talk to Midlands Asbestos Solutions.