Council gives its backing to HSE campaign

Ribbe Valley Council in Lancashire is giving its backing to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) campaign for the safe removal of asbestos.

The authority is joining forces with the HSE to warn tradesmen of the dangers posed by inhaling asbestos.

Figures from the executive reveal that five workmen a week die in the north-west of England as a result of inhaling the substance which can cause cancer, mesothelioma and asbestositis.

The council plans to distribute information packs detailing the dangers of asbestos and where the material is usually found, primarily aimed at young tradesmen and women who, research found, felt that they were in little personal danger from asbestos inhalation.

Julie Whitwell, the council's environmental health officer, believes that the campaign has benefits for everyone.

"People regard asbestos as something only previous generations were exposed to, but there is a real risk that young people entering the workforce do not think it applies to them. But it does. If they work on any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 it could contain asbestos," she said.

The HSE's Asbestos: The Hidden Killer campaign is being taken on board by trade unions and associations in a bid to reduce asbestos-related injuries and deaths.