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HSE moves to improve weak asbestos law

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HSE moves to improve weak asbestos law

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is to change the law on asbestos at work, after accepting the current law fails to meet Europe's minimum requirements. HSE's admission it had under-implemented the European Commission's 2003 directive on control of asbestos at work was first revealed by the trade union journal Hazards in April this year (Risks 504). It followed a 'reasoned opinion' from the EC critical of the UK Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. This concluded the UK had misinterpreted requirements on 'sporadic and low intensity exposure to asbestos' to justify the exclusion of considerable amounts of asbestos work from asbestos licensing, health assessments and exposure recording requirements. An HSE consultation, to run until 4 November and which proposes revoking the current regulations and issuing a single set of revised regulations, aims to bring the UK law up to standard. This will require reducing some of the 'low risk' opt outs on the notification of work to the authorities and on medical examinations for workers and the recording of the type and duration of work undertaken by each worker. In an online note accompanying the consultation document, HSE declares: 'The required changes mean in future fewer types of lower risk work will be exempt from the three requirements. Views are sought on: the proposals; the guidance to be produced to explain how the changes will work in practice; and the impact on business.' TUC said the official admission the law was under-implemented 'nails the myth' promoted by the government that the UK 'gold-plates' Euro laws (Risks 487). HSE, which was forced by the government to shelve its award-winning £1 million 'Hidden Killer' asbestos awareness campaign, this week announced an effort to get training providers to donate 4,000 face-to-face asbestos awareness training hours and an additional 4,000 hours of online training. It is the latest in a series of attempts by HSE to offset the impact of dramatically reduced resources after the government cut its budget by 35 per cent over four years.

HSE consultative document [pdf] - response deadline 4 November 2011. Hazards magazine. HSE news release and training pledge website.

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