Asbestos deaths set to rise

Tradesmen are being warned about the threat of a 'killer' in their industry.

Joiners, plumbers, electricians and maintenance workers in Lincolnshire are the target of a campaign by the Health and Safety Executive.

The Asbestos: The Hidden Killer drive aims to cut the number of work-related deaths in the county.

Figures show 174 Lincolnshire people died from asbestos-related diseases between 1981 and 2005.

The HSE says this figure is continuing to rise because many workers don't fully understand the risks asbestos can pose.

It says that because the material was banned many years ago, tradesmen believe the problem has been dealt with.

But it warns any building constructed before 2000 could still contain the deadly fibres.

Principal HSE inspector for Lincolnshire Sarah Jardine said: "Exposure to asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths, with around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related disease.

"The overall number of deaths is rising because a large number of workers who have already been exposed to asbestos dust around 40 years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer or other asbestos related diseases."

Building firms in Lincolnshire say they work hard to educate employees on the dangers of asbestos.

Health and safety manager for the Gelder Group Ltd, Ben Slack, said the company had a training programmes to teach staff what to look out for.

"As a growing business with 280 employees we recognise the importance of properly training our workforce," he said.

"Asbestos is a difficult material to identify and is quite often mistaken for other safer materials."

To find out more about the dangers of asbestos and for the full story see Saturday's Lincolnshire Echo.

Source: This is Lincolnshire