Asbestos exposure prevention in the workplace.

Why preventing asbestos exposure matters so much

Asbestos is the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in Ireland and the UK. When fibres are breathed in they can stay in the lungs for life, slowly causing scarring and disease. The illnesses they trigger are serious, and most have no cure.

What makes asbestos so dangerous is the long delay between exposure and illness. Diseases can take anywhere from 15 to 60 years to appear, so the fibres breathed in today may not cause symptoms until decades later - by which time the damage is done.

The main asbestos-related diseases

• Mesothelioma - An aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen, almost always caused by asbestos and with no cure.
• Asbestos-related lung cancer - Cancer of the lung caused by inhaled asbestos fibres, with risk rising sharply for smokers.
• Asbestosis - Long-term scarring of the lung tissue that causes breathlessness and gets worse over time.
• Pleural thickening - Thickening and hardening of the lung lining that restricts breathing and chest movement.

Once asbestos fibres are breathed in and disease develops, the damage cannot be undone. That is why prevention - not treatment - is the only reliable protection against asbestos.

Who is at risk?

Anyone who disturbs the fabric of an older building can be exposed to asbestos. The groups most at risk include:

1. Construction and demolition workers - Drilling, cutting and stripping out older buildings disturbs hidden ACMs.
2. Electricians and plumbers - Working in risers, ceiling voids and around old pipe lagging brings them close to asbestos.
3. Joiners, roofers and plasterers - Removing partitions, soffits, roof sheets and textured coatings can release fibres.
4. Maintenance and facilities staff - Routine repairs in older estates can disturb panels, tiles and insulation.
5. General operatives and labourers - Working in and around older buildings every day, often before a survey is checked.
6. Family members - Fibres carried home on contaminated clothing can expose people who never set foot on site.

The role of the register, survey and management plan

Preventing exposure relies on knowing where asbestos is. Duty holders must identify ACMs and record them in an asbestos register, supported by an asbestos survey and a written management plan. Before any work that could disturb the building fabric, the register and survey should be checked so that hidden materials are not disturbed by surprise.

• The asbestos register lists known and presumed ACMs, their location and their condition.
• The asbestos survey confirms what is present - a management survey for normal occupation, or a refurbishment and demolition survey before intrusive work.
• The management plan sets out how asbestos will be managed, monitored and shared with workers and contractors.

STOP-CHECK-REPORT: the simple rule that prevents exposure

If you find or suspect asbestos during your work, the safest response is simple and easy to remember:

1. STOP - Stop work immediately and do not disturb the material any further.
2. CHECK - Check the asbestos register and survey, and warn others to keep clear of the area.
3. REPORT - Report it to your supervisor or duty holder, and do not resume until you are told it is safe.

Following this rule turns a potentially fatal exposure into a near miss. It costs a few minutes and can save a life.

Employer duties for preventing asbestos exposure

Irish employers have clear legal duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Exposure to Asbestos Regulations (SI 386/2006 and SI 589/2010), enforced by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

1. Identify and manage asbestos - Keep an up-to-date register and management plan and share them with staff and contractors.
2. Survey before work - Arrange the right asbestos survey before any work that could disturb the building fabric.
3. Train workers - Provide asbestos awareness training to anyone liable to disturb ACMs, before work starts and as a regular refresher.
4. Use the right people - Ensure higher-risk work is carried out only by trained or licensed asbestos contractors.
5. Supervise and review - Make sure safe systems of work are followed and update the register as the building changes.

The role of Asbestos Awareness Training

Asbestos Awareness Training is the first and most effective step in preventing exposure. It does not qualify anyone to remove or repair asbestos - instead it teaches the knowledge that keeps fibres in the wall and out of your lungs:

• How to recognise the materials most likely to contain asbestos
• Where asbestos is commonly found in buildings
• The health risks and why there is no safe level of exposure
• How to use the asbestos register, survey and management plan
• The STOP-CHECK-REPORT rule and the basics of PPE and RPE

Our online Asbestos Awareness Course covers all these topics in approximately 45 minutes. You can complete it from any device and receive your CPD certified certificate instantly upon passing.