In the UK, we have recently seen additional guidance on managing asbestos in the form of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE’s) updated asbestos management plan, this comprises of:
- An overview of asbestos present in the premises;
- An increase in responsibility detail;
- A clear statement of frequency of inspections;
- A list of who does the inspection and who updates the register and actions;
- A clear action plan for all the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) is required and detail communication plans are now advocated; and
- A training matrix clearly stating who will be trained, what level of training and what the training is comprised of are required together with all the existing requirements of the previous management plan.
If production of asbestos is to continue in other parts of the world there is a possibility of ACMs being accidentally imported into the UK, similar to the blue gaskets containing asbestos imported from China in 2010. The unfortunate problem of the current wars around the globe releasing ACMs into the atmosphere causing a potential spike in global asbestos related deaths in anything up to the next 50 years, must also be considered.
With the outright ban on asbestos from November 1999 in the UK, is it time for some other countries of the world to introduce tighter controls and eventually ban the biggest workplace killer in modern history.