The hidden killer still with us - the single greatest cause of work related deaths !

This article was published in the October 2017 edition of Environmental Health News.

One of my first jobs as a student EHO in the 1980’s was to carry out an asbestos survey of the boroughs social housing stock. We believed we were tackling one of the largest public health challenges of our generation. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and all types are hazardous.  We could not have comprehended that over thirty years later the asbestos time bomb would still be ticking and an ever increasing death rate would continue to haunt us.

Asbestos is the single greatest cause of work related deaths in the UK and around 5,000 people die each year from mesothelioma and asbestos related lung cancer. The HSE’s latest data shows we are now at the predicted peak of the mesothelioma epidemic.With 2,500 deaths recorded in the last reported year .That means thirteen people a day die in the UK from exposure to asbestos, more than double the number that die on our roads! Over 50,000 people in the UK have already died from mesothelioma as a result of asbestos. We are still seeing its deadly consequences despite its prohibition in 1999, as it can take decades for the terrible legacy of mesothelioma to develop. The greatest risks come between 30 and 50 years after exposure.

Asbestos was once seen as a wonder material. It has remarkable fire proofing properties with immense heat resistance and is an excellent thermal insulator. Because of this it was used extensively in public and commercial buildings from the 1950’s to the late 1980’s. As a result, a significant number of these still contain large amounts of asbestos. In fact any building constructed before its ban in 2000 could contain asbestos. It’s estimated that there are up to six million tonnes of asbestos in our homes, hospitals schools, offices and factories.

If the material remains in good condition and is undisturbed, there is little risk of it causing harm. However, it’s a friable material and if it’s disturbed and the released fibres are inhaled, they can become embedded in the lungs and cause serious damage.

The majority of cases are amongst  people who work directly with materials containing asbestos. The groups most at risk are those who carry out building maintenance and refurbishment work and are unaware of its presence. Nevertheless, the mesothelioma plague is not limited to industrial building work. Others become ill through casual environmental exposure. There are reported cases amongst those who have worked in contaminated schools and hospitals.

Asbestos is a hidden killer, often you don’t know it’s there until it’s too late. Many victims don’t even know they have been exposed. It’s not just a legacy issue. As long as asbestos can be found in an estimated half a million UK workplaces and around a million homes, it will remain a critical public health issue for many years to come. Nothing but the complete removal of asbestos will eliminate the potential risk. We must act and prioritise our efforts starting with removal from our most vulnerable buildings.