Committee calls for asbestos evidence
The deadline for submissions to the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into how the HSE manages the continued presence of asbestos in buildings is Friday 17 September 2021.
The importation, supply and use of the material has been banned in the UK since 1999, but it remains the largest single cause of work-related fatalities, with more than 5,000 deaths each year from diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
“With the UK death rate from asbestos-related illness the highest in the world, there are serious concerns about how the material is being dealt with compared with how it is managed in other countries,” said committee chair Stephen Timms MP.
The committee’s inquiry is examining the current risks posed by asbestos in the workplace, the actions taken by the HSE to mitigate them, and how its approach compares to those taken in other countries. The results of the inquiry will feed into the HSE’s post-implementation review of the effectiveness of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.