Engineering news from The Career Engineer
Warning over dangers of asbestos in construction jobs
Tuesday, 3rd November 2009, 13::44
A new campaign has been launched to remind those working on construction jobs of the dangers of coming into contact with asbestos.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is spending £1.2 million on its Hidden Killer campaign, which aims to highlight that contact with asbestos fibres can cause terminal cancer.
It is estimated that asbestos-related illnesses claim up to 4,000 lives per year and the HSE says that it is contractors who are most at risk, as they are often involved in activities on building sites that are likely to disturb or damage the substance.
In the UK, around 500,000 buildings are believed to contain asbestos.
Mike Cross, HSE head of construction for the north-west, said: "The most simple, but important, advice is if you are not 100 per cent certain that there is no asbestos where you are working, then don't start work.
"It is not worth the risk."
Earlier this week, Ronnie Cadwallader, a terminally-ill welder from Liverpool received a compensation payout of £140,000 after he contracted the cancer mesothelioma from working with asbestos.
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