Owners and occupiers of
non-domestic* industrial, commercial or public premises such
as factories, warehouses, offices, shops, hospitals and
schools with maintenance and repair responsibilities have a
duty to assess the building or site for asbestos and its
condition and implement a management plan. This is done
by:
- Finding out if asbestos is present
in the premises.
- Making and maintaining a record of
the location and condition of the asbestos or any materials which
are presumed to contain asbestos.
- Assessing the risk of anyone being
exposed to fibres from the materials identified e.g staff,
contractors, public.
- Making an 'asbestos management
plan' that sets out how the risks from these materials will be
managed and regularly reviewing and monitoring the plan to
check continued adequate arrangements are in place
- Providing information on the
location and condition of asbestos material to anyone who may come
into contact with it such as building contractors, surveyors or
architects.
- Liaising with landlords who have a
duty to pass on information to their tenants. Tenants
must also cooperate with their landlord including allowing
access to a building.
- Arranging for the safe and proper
disposal of asbestos materials. Guidance can be found on the
Somerset Waste Partnership website.
* Non-domestic premises can also
includes 'common' areas such as foyers, corridors, lifts
and lift-shafts, staircases, roof spaces, gardens, yards, outhouses
and garages.
Why is asbestos dangerous?
When asbestos fibres are
inhaled they can cause serious diseases which are responsible for
around 4500 deaths a year. There are four main diseases caused by
asbestos: mesothelioma (which is always fatal), lung cancer (almost always fatal), asbestosis (not always fatal, but it can be
very debilitating) and diffuse pleural thickening (not fatal).
Asbestos fibres are present in the
environment in Great Britain so people are exposed to very low
levels of fibres. However, a key factor in the risk of developing
an asbestos-related disease is the total number of fibres breathed
in. Working on or near damaged asbestos-containing materials or
breathing in high levels of asbestos fibres, which may be many
hundreds of times that of environmental levels can increase your
chances of getting an asbestos-related disease.
Someone inhaling asbestos fibres
now won't be affected immediately but later on in life, so
there is a need for you to protect yourself now to prevent you
contracting an asbestos-related disease in the future. It is also
important to remember that people who smoke and are also exposed to
asbestos fibres are at a much greater risk of developing lung cancer.
Publications and leaflets are available from the Health and
Safety Executive on telephone 01787 881165 or online at HSE Books website