Protect your people. Offer them asbestos awareness training. Foley and Baugh run courses in Norwich and across the eastern counties.
Many factories, warehouses and workshops constructed during the twentieth century contain materials that were once regarded as ideal for insulation and fire protection. Today, we know that many of those materials contain asbestos. While asbestos is generally safe if left undisturbed, it can present a serious health risk when fibres are released into the air.
This is particularly relevant for businesses whose employees occasionally carry out building maintenance tasks. Something as routine as drilling into a wall to install shelving, running cables through a partition, repairing roof sheets or carrying out refurbishment work could unintentionally disturb asbestos-containing materials if the building has not been properly assessed.
The health risks associated with asbestos are well established. Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres can lead to serious diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. These illnesses often develop many years after exposure, making it all the more important to prevent exposure in the first place.
Asbestos awareness is important. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, those responsible for non-domestic premises have duties to manage asbestos where it is present. This includes identifying asbestos-containing materials, assessing their condition, maintaining an up-to-date asbestos register and ensuring that anyone liable to disturb them has access to the relevant information. Simply assuming that a building is asbestos-free because it has been in use for many years is not a safe approach.
Employees should never begin drilling, cutting or carrying out maintenance work unless they know whether asbestos may be present in the area. Roof maintenance deserves particular attention, as asbestos cement sheets were widely used on industrial buildings throughout the last century. Even relatively minor repair work can create unnecessary risks if appropriate precautions have not been taken.
Providing asbestos awareness training is an important part of protecting your employees. Workers do not need to become asbestos specialists, but they should understand where asbestos might be found, how to recognise situations that require caution and what action to take if they suspect asbestos-containing materials are present.
At Foley and Baugh, we help businesses across the eastern counties understand and manage asbestos risks through practical advice, and we offer asbestos awareness training in Norwich and throughout East Anglia. A little knowledge before work begins can prevent exposure, protect employees’ long-term health and ensure that routine maintenance does not become a serious health and safety incident.
Contact us today on 01493 659026 or email hello@foleyandbaugh.co.uk
