ASBESTOS, KNOW THE RISKS…..

I would guess that the average person in the street would know asbestos is not to be messed with. It has long since been in the news for being a dangerous hazard to health and carcinogen that is present in one form or another in many of the buildings that we visit, work or reside in, which is all OK until its gets disturbed or tampered with.   This is where the need for Asbestos Awareness Training comes in.

Start digging around and disturbing Asbestos containing Materials or ACM’s and that is where the problems can begin. These tiny asbestos particles are contained securely in many of the items we have around our homes and work premises, but when carrying out refurbishment, redecoration, alteration, plumbing/electrical installations or rebuilding works, how do we know that what we are working on is safe?

Asbestos exposure is the No. 1 cause of work-related deaths in the world. Approximately 90,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases globally each year. An estimated 125 million people worldwide remain at risk of occupational exposure to asbestos. Frightening figures, I am sure you would agree.

Working in the building and construction industry poses a huge potential risk of being exposed to these potentially deadly asbestos fibres, with devastating and life changing or even ending consequences. Assessing each situation and protecting yourselves and your workers from exposure to asbestos is a legal requirement which is enforced through the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The Control of Asbestos Regulations are in place not only for the good of your health but also for those you work with, others affected by your work activities and even your family – family members have died as a direct result of asbestos being carried home on work clothing.

Asbestos Awareness Training is now a mandatory legal requirement under UK Health and Safety Law and in addition to this, the law requires you to ‘refresh’ your training at regular intervals to help ensure that the message about the dangers of working with asbestos are kept fresh in your mind.

Not being able to demonstrate that your workforce has up to date Asbestos Awareness training can also be an instant black mark against your company when tendering for contracts, completing SSIP Assessments or completing client PQQ’s. So as well as the very obvious safety reasons for ensuring you have a trained and competent workforce, there are also strong economic reasons to ensure ALL of your workforce is Asbestos Aware!

The Asbestos Awareness online training course at YourSafetyAdvisor.com has therefore been written and produced with every key element outlined to give you the knowledge to assess these risks effectively.  £15 is a small price to pay and knowing the risks may just help save your life or that of a loved one.

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