Poignant training pledge launched to tackle North East's share of 4,000 asbestos death toll

Date:

5 September 2011

Release No:

NE/089/11

A poignant target of 4,000 hours of free asbestos awareness training has been set in a new initiative to help tradesmen in the North East and across Britain protect themselves from the deadly dust.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in partnership with the training industry, is calling for businesses to pledge free courses and hopes, during September to hit the target of 4,000 hours - reflecting the approximate number of deaths each year in Britain from asbestos-related diseases.

It is hoped that 4,000 face-to-face training hours and an additional 4,000 hours of online training will be offered up by various providers.

The free training will be available throughout October and November and is aimed at tradesmen such as joiners, electricians and plumbers who are most likely to disturb the fibres as they go about their work - around 20 a week lose their lives to asbestos-related diseases.

In the North East, 1,446 people died from asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, during the period 1998 - 2008.

Pam Waldron, Head of Operations for HSE in the North East, said:

"Our Hidden Killer campaign has helped tradesmen understand the lifesaving fact that asbestos exposure is not just an historical problem - around half a million non domestic premises still contain it.

"This next phase of the campaign is all about tradesmen finding out exactly what they need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training.

"There is sadly little we can do to help those who are already suffering the often fatal effects of asbestos exposure in the workplace, but we can prevent this hidden killer claiming another generation.

"Through the continued commitment of asbestos support groups and by industry playing its part, we can all do something practical to ensure that the risk to workers is minimised."

Kevin Rowan, TUC Regional Secretary and spokesman for the Northern Region Asbestos Support and Campaign Group, based in Wallsend, said:

"The North East bears a disproportionately high burden of asbestos-related illnesses due in large part to its industrial heritage and we are yet to see the number of mesothelioma victims peak. However, more and more new cases are related to asbestos exposure in old workplaces and public buildings.

"Asbestos remains a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of working people and an initiative to increase awareness of its dangers and risks around asbestos is very welcome."

Bob Stephenson, Co-ordinator of the Northeast Asbestos and Support Awareness Group, based in Middlesbrough, said:

"Since the Northeast Asbestos Awareness & Support Group (NASAG) was founded in 2001, we have helped thousands of sufferers of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Victims who were not made aware of the dangers of working with asbestos.

"Even short periods of exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. We believe it is vital that asbestos awareness and training must be given a high priority. That is why NASAG gives its full support to this initiative, to provide free asbestos training. Asbestos still kills."

Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP) and the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) are working with HSE to encourage their members to pledge. Members of the Asbestos Safety Health Environmental e-Learning Association (ASHEeLA) are being encouraged to provide free online training courses.

Training providers looking to pledge hours are invited to visit the campaign website www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/training-pledge.htm

and those wanting to sign up to free training can see what is being pledged in their area by following links on the site.

Notes to editors

Christine Winter, Chair of IATP:

"We welcome the opportunity to be involved in this training pledge initiative. Asbestos destroys individuals, families and communities and we want to play our part in making businesses, trades and individuals aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure."

Eddie Strong, UKATA Vice-Chairman:

"We are pleased to be invited by HSE to participate in this initiative. The initial response from our members has been extremely encouraging and we are confident that pledges of free training hours will gain momentum as the pledge gets properly underway.

"UKATA Training Providers, together with other participating bodies will offer free asbestos awareness training to those individuals who otherwise may not have the opportunity to receive it."

Max Lopacki from ASHEeLA:

"With around 20 tradespeople dying each week from asbestos-related diseases our members are wholeheartedly supporting HSE's initiative by pledging 20 free asbestos awareness eLearning courses per day. The pledged courses will be available online via our members' websites and can be taken at anytime. This is a very convenient way to access asbestos awareness training and will help hundreds of at-risk tradespeople learn how to protect themselves from this Hidden Killer."

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. There are four main diseases associated with inhalation of asbestos fibres. These are asbestosis (a scarring of the lung tissue caused by asbestos), two kinds of cancer (mesothelioma and asbestos related lung cancer), and diffuse pleural thickening (a non-malignant disease affecting the lung lining). For more information visit www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/asbestos.htm
3. Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 details training requirements. There are three main types:-
   1. asbestos awareness training - for workers likely to disturb asbestos while carrying out their normal everyday work, or who may influence how work is carried out;
   2. training for non-licensable asbestos work - for those workers undertaking planned work with asbestos which is not licensable, such as a roofer or demolition worker removing a whole asbestos cement sheet in good condition or for workers such as asbestos surveyors;
   3. training for licensable work with asbestos - for those working with asbestos which is licensable such as removing asbestos insulation or insulating board.

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