Asbestos regulations - act with care

Asbestos is once again in the news, following the introduction of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (CAWR) 2002 in November last year.

Attracting particular attention is Regulation 4, which comes into force in May 2004 and establishes an explicit new duty to manage the risk from asbestos in non-domestic premises.

IOSH welcomes CAWR as a positive contribution to tackling the UK's greatest workplace killer - at least 3,000 people die each year from asbestos-related diseases, usually many years after they were exposed to airborne fibres. It is encouraging 'duty holders' to address active compliance with the regulations now.

People controlling premises and those controlling access to premises will be required to take reasonable steps to identify where asbestos may exist; to presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence to the contrary; keep up-to-date records of the location and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs); assess the risk of the release of fibres from any ACMs; plan to properly control that risk; implement, monitor and review their plans; and ensure that employees, contractors, etc, are adequately informed and instructed of the precautions to be taken.

Nonetheless, IOSH also recognises that unscrupulous contractors might use the new legal provisions to encourage unnecessary asbestos removal.

Further updates on asbestos were heard by delegates at IOSH's annual conference, held in Glasgow last month. Professor Julian Peto, head of the epidemiology section at the Institute of Cancer Research, whose talk, 'Is asbestos still a major health hazard?', considered the latest figures on mesothelioma mortality, the dangers presented by current exposure from asbestos in older buildings, epidemiological evidence on varying dangers of brown, blue and white asbestos, and activities of the asbestos industry in developing countries.