HSE makes college visits to promote safety awareness

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is continuing to visit colleges as part of its ongoing attempt to raise the profile of asbestos risks.

Helen Ratcliffe, head of the Chemical Carcinogens and Asbestos Policy Unit at the organisation, will be doing a presentation on November 21st at the City of Plymouth College.

This will involve showing a DVD which includes an interview with someone dying of mesothelioma.

She emphasises the importance of reaching people while they are new as the material is the largest cause of deaths in the workplace.

"It is vital that we reach young people who are starting out on careers as tradesmen and women to raise their awareness of asbestos before they are at risk of exposure," she states.

Yesterday, construction supplier Jewson's Barnsley store agreed to help promote this issue in the local area.

As a company with links to the building trade, it stated it was ideally placed to help communicate the message to those tradesmen most at risk.