As reported in the Construction Index, the HSE has initiated a Beware Asbestos campaign aimed at providing simple, practical advice for working with asbestos.
The campaign is designed as a web app and is accessible via phone, tablet and PC. You navigate via a number of multichoice questions describing your environment and the nature of your work before being presented with information on the level of risk.
Possible outcomes include:
- Being told to stop work and get a licensed asbestos contractor if the asbestos risk is too high
- Being taken to a simple how-to guide giving you easy to follow step-by-step information for lower risk asbestos work
- Being told there is no asbestos risk and so you are safe to continue work
According to Construction Index, a survey commissioned by the HSE found that only 30% of tradespeople could identify all the correct measures for safe asbestos working, while only 55% of construction workers said they knew how to protect themselves from the risk.
UKATA commented by saying:
It is vital that construction workers receive proper training on asbestos, Pressure must be placed on employers to ensure that training takes place and workers are not victimised, threatened or blacklisted when raising concerns about asbestos, which is often the case. Employers who allow workers to be exposed to asbestos must be prosecuted.
Steve Murphy, UKATA
Take a look at http://www.beware-asbestos.info.