HSE Update January 2024: ‘Asbestos – Your Duty'

Due to the health risks associated with asbestos, it was completely banned from use in the construction industry in 1999. Now 25 years later, asbestos is still a potential health risk, as it remains inside older buildings such as schools, hospitals, museums, and workplaces such as offices and factories. If asbestos is intact and undisturbed, it poses little risk. However, if asbestos is disturbed during a construction or demolition project, dangerous asbestos fibres could be inhaled by those nearby, putting the health of construction workers as significant risk. Sadly, asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain and amongst construction workers. Inhaling asbestos fibres can lead to life threatening diseases including asbestosis and cancer, and approximately 5,000 people die each year from diseases related to asbestos exposure.

‘Asbestos – Your Duty' Campaign

The HSE recently updated their guidance on how to manage asbestos in buildings, and have launched a new campaign called ‘Asbestos – Your Duty' to provide duty holders with the information they need to handle asbestos safely. The HSE wants anyone who has a responsibility for a building, to comply with the law, and do everything they can to prevent exposure to dangerous asbestos fibres. The updated guidance includes:

• An outline of what the legal duty is in regard to asbestos, and what steps should be taken to comply with the law.
• How to identify who the dutyholder is, and what their responsibilities are for managing asbestos.
• New asbestos management plan templates and an asbestos register with a site plan.
• Examples of how asbestos can be managed safely.

Resources from the HSE

Below we have linked to some useful resources from the HSE website. We hope by sharing this information it will raise awareness of the importance of managing asbestos safely.

Click here for an introduction into asbestos safety

Click here to watch a video that explains the key steps for managing asbestos in buildings.

Click here to see an example asbestos management plan.

Click here for more HSE guidance about Asbestos.

Click here and answer 3 question to find out if you have a legal duty to manage asbestos.

This information in this news article has been taken from a HSE bulletin and guidance published in January 2024.