Tackling asbestos-related cancer together in Global Asbestos Awareness Week 2019
Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1-7 April 2019) aims to increase awareness of asbestos and prevent exposure by bringing together experts and victims from around the world to share, learn and take action.
The week is organised by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), the largest independent non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, eliminating asbestos-related diseases, and protecting asbestos victims’ civil rights through education, advocacy, and community initiatives.
Asbestos is the biggest cause of occupational cancer, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives a year worldwide. In Britain alone, around 5,000 people die from work-related asbestos exposure. These cancers are preventable.
Quest are supporting the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) global campaign to tackle occupational cancer – ‘No Time to Lose’, in Global Asbestos Awareness Week. Don’t put yourself or your colleagues at risk, if you suspect it don’t touch it until you have sought further advice from a professional.
Asbestos Check
If you suspect you may have disturbed material, you should:
- Warn others of the suspected discovery.
- Evacuate the area and ensure appropriate warning signage is placed to inform others.
- The HSE guideline “em1” advises that if a small amount of contamination eg dust on shoes / sleeves then wipe down with a damp cloth and dispose of as asbestos waste- a record of this must be kept and where necessary the occurrence reported to the HSE.
- If there is a lot of material contamination, stay put and put on RPE damp wipe outer clothing and remove if possible before moving away from the source of the contamination.
- Further wipe down skin / shoes / other clothing with damp cloths
- Clothing and items used for the wiping down should be double bagged and disposed of as asbestos waste.
- Contact an asbestos management company who can attend and test the material and arrange for a clean-up under controlled conditions.
- A release of asbestos material may be reportable under RIDDOR if you suspect there to have been enough material to cause harm – often it is difficult to determine this so the safest method would be to report under RIDDOR anyway to ensure this is covered.
The first step is knowledge of what asbestos is, what to look out for and why its so dangerous. Once people know this they are in a stronger position to be safe. Quest offer health and safety training for employees on Asbestos awareness to help with this aim, and we are able to offer advice on how to manage the material on your site.
