TUC warns on asbestos danger

The TUC has warned that thousands of local authority buildings in England still contain potentially lethal asbestos. Its call came after research carried out by the Labour Research Department (LRD) found at least 2,690 premises (excluding schools and housing) that contain asbestos, owned by a sample of 31 local authorities in England. Only one council had removed asbestos from all its premises.

Since the survey sample equated to around 10% of local authorities, the TUC believes the full figure could be in the tens of thousands.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos is still the biggest workplace killer, and Britain has the highest rates of mesothelioma cases in the world. The research shows that many local authority buildings – including town halls, libraries and leisure centres – still contain the substance more than 22 years after it was banned in new buildings.

The TUC is calling for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings, rather than the current policy of “managing” it. It says the only way we will eradicate mesothelioma in Britain is with a legal duty to safely remove it, and a clear timetable for its eradication.

https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/thousands-local-authority-buildings-still-contain-asbestos-new-tuc-research