Medical examinations for asbestos workers
Plans to reduce the period between medical examinations for asbestos workers have been abandoned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after being lobbied by unions including Prospect, which represents HSE staff.
Views were sought on reducing the frequency of asbestos medical examinations for licensed contractors from two years to three years after a review of the Control of Asbestos Regulations in 2017.
Prospect’s submission to the consultation strongly opposed the change. Deputy general secretary Garry Graham welcomed the fact that the HSE had seen sense on the issue. “Asbestos is a silent killer of thousands of workers every year,” he said. “Frequent medical checks for those engaged in the dangerous removal of asbestos from old buildings is vital to pick up any symptoms as early as possible.”
Analysis by the HSE of the responses found that three out of five (61%) did not support the proposed amendment.