The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSE NI), have launched a new asbestos campaign - Always Ask for the Asbestos Register.
This latest campaign is aimed at raising awareness, offering advice, and making tradespeople in particular of the danger of working with asbestos.
In one year alone, asbestos-related diseases were responsible for the deaths of 27 people in Northern Ireland, including 12 tradespeople.
The HSE NI want to encourage tradespeople to 'Always ask for the asbestos register' when working on any buildings, but in particular those which were constructed before 2000.
There is a legal duty on all managers of commercial buildings to carry out a survey to establish the presence of any asbestos, what type it is, it's location, and have this information recorded in an asbestos register. This register should be made available to all tradespeople before they undertake work on the building to ensure they don't disturb any asbestos, or if the work is in an area where asbestos is present, then those undertaking the work are appropriately licensed to undertake the work and can carry it out safely.
Chief Executive of HSE NI, Robert Kidd, said: "Exposure to asbestos remains one of the biggest threats to construction employees in Northern Ireland. On average, one asbestos-related death occurs every two weeks in Northern Ireland."
“We are working to reduce the number of asbestos-related deaths, and we are launching this campaign aimed at protecting lives and protecting livelihoods, with the hope that it will have a real impact on tradespeople and the construction industry. Be alert to the possibility of asbestos containing materials before commencing drilling, cutting or demolition works that could lead to dangerous exposure.”
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