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date: 24 February 2006

embargo: 00.01hrs Monday 27 February 2006

Asbestos banned but still a killer

Asbestos may now be banned but the fatal fibres could still be lurking in up to 1.5 million shops, factories and offices across the UK, says the TUC today (Monday) as it launches a major new safety drive aimed at preventing more workers from being exposed to the killer substance which currently claims 4,000 lives a year.

Today, on Action Mesothelioma Day, a million 'Asbestos Kills' stickers and thousands of leaflets have been sent to workplaces up and down the country, so that union safety reps can do more to stop employers needlessly exposing their staff to asbestos at work.

Since May 2004, employers have been required by law to find out about and keep thorough records of the presence of asbestos on their premises, carry out regular inspections, and make sure that all employees know where the fatal fibres are, and receive training on the risks they pose.

But the TUC believes many employers are either unaware of their legal obligations or are simply choosing to ignore them. And with the average workplace getting a visit from a safety inspector on average only once every 8 - 20 years, negligent employers can be safe in the knowledge that they are unlikely ever to get found out.

But with figures predicting that within 10 years the UK will see 10,000 deaths a year from asbestos-related diseases - of which mesothelioma is just one - the TUC wants union safety reps to make sure that no-one else's health is jeopardised because of employer carelessness.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'All forms of asbestos are dangerous, no matter what some employers might say. The cancers caused by the killer fibres can take years to develop, so someone who breathes in asbestos dust now may not become ill for another 25 years.

'We don't want to see any more people exposed to asbestos in future. The new stickers and leaflets should help focus the minds of careless employers, and minimise exposure for those maintenance and construction workers most at risk.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

A pdf of the new 'Asbestos Kills' leaflet and poster can be found at http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/AsbestosPoster.pdf

and http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/Asbestosleaflet.pdf

Also on Action Mesothelioma Day, a coalition of groups lead by the British Lung Foundation is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the aggressive asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. New research concerning public awareness levels of the disease is to be launched at a press conference at 10am at the TUC's Congress House. Contact Lindi Maqhubela 0207 688 5564/07976 227076

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet : a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (500 words) issued 27 Feb 2006