Asbestos kills more than roads – confirmed

Asbestos kills more than roads - confirmed

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has confirmed that more people are killed by asbestos each year than die on Britain's roads, but has criticised a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) radio advertisement for not making clear the HSE asbestos deaths figure - 4,000 deaths a year - is in part an estimate. HSE expressed its 'deep disappointment' at the ASA adjudication, where it upheld the solitary complaint about its 'Asbestos: The hidden killer' awareness campaign. Steve Coldrick, HSE's asbestos programme director, said: 'We are obviously very disappointed with the decision by the ASA to uphold this sole complaint made against our award-winning campaign, but we do consider it to be only on a technicality. This campaign is clearly in the public interest and we are now looking to seek an independent review of the adjudication.' TUC described the ASA ruling as 'unfortunate'. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'We know from research the HSE has carried out that the campaign has not only raised awareness of the dangers asbestos poses but it has also changed the behaviour of many of those who have seen the materials. The ASA ruling, while unfortunate, does not change the fact that asbestos is the number one occupational killer and that every case of exposure is avoidable with the correct safety procedures.' Mr Barber added that the TUC was 'surprised' by the ASA judgment 'as the HSE fatalities figures have always been regarded as overly cautious and if all premature deaths caused by asbestos are included the figure would almost certainly be much higher. We hope that the HSE will continue to run hard-hitting campaigns like this.' Almost threequarters of tradespeople who saw or heard the HSE campaign said that they had already taken more safety precautions or planned to take them.

• ASA adjudication. HSE news release and Hidden killer campaign. TUC news release.