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Asbestos the Truth Day 1: Built Environment - 18th Nov 2011
Industry conference shows that experts agree professional asbestos training is crucial
The Asbestos the Truth 2011 conference was centred around the sharing of knowledge by industry experts on what is an ever-evolving subject.
Directors Charles, Patrick and Phil at Asbestos the Truth
Patrick Morton from Lucion Environmental started the day off with an overview of the continued need for asbestos management, an introduction into the importance of the different topics being discussed and their value to the industry moving forwards. This was followed by Robert Blackburn on the current guidance and regulation who stressed that comprehensive training is the only way to move forward to successfully manage and avoid what could otherwise become an asbestos nightmare.
After a break for tea, coffee and cake the presentations moved on to the implications and consequences of poor asbestos management and nsurance with Jonathan Dunkley from Muckle Solicitors and Matt Baker from Howden Insurance.
After lunch the group split into workshops covering asbestos in the demolition industry, with Jim O’Sullivan from Keltbray, social housing with Rob Ramsden from Forest Environmental and asbestos training and qualifications with Chris Parr from Lucion Environmental.
A further coffee break prepared the group for the final presentations, with a look to the future including the emerging industry of soil contamination and sampling, and finally an arresting presentation from Dr Chris Warburton, leading surgeon from the Aintree Chest Centre specialising in occupational lung diseases.
Currently, 4,000 people die per year of asbestos related diseases. Due to the latency period prior to the onset of these diseases, many deaths will occur over the next decade that cannot be prevented. However, greater awareness now will be the deciding factor in decades to come when we hope the death toll begins to slow. This increased awareness can be gained most successfully through certified training courses. Further to this, knowledge and training will be vital to the correct implementation and management of asbestos following future changes to regulation such as The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
The truth about asbestos, as we have seen over this conference, is that it isn’t an easily fixed problem that will be gone in a few years time. Although the complete ban of asbestos has been in place in the UK for many years now, the problem persists as companies continue to fail to manage asbestos correctly and innocent people continue to be exposed.
Unlike the diseases that this industry has been built around, there is a cure to be found. Increased knowledge is the only way to break the cycle of poor asbestos management and deadly fibre exposure that we continue to see. Relatively speaking, this is still a young industry, with lots to learn, and that is the truth about asbestos, we don’t know nearly as much as we ought to and the only way to remedy this is to continue to share knowledge and experience and promote certified training facilities both for those working with asbestos directly, and those who risk exposure through less direct means.
Over all, conclusions of the day from both speakers and attendees confirmed that the most important factor that is vital to successful
asbestos management is training. Both asbestos awareness training for anyone who may encounter asbestos containing materials and industry specific qualifications for those involved with asbestos on a regular basis, both to be carried out by certified professionals.
asbestos management is training. Both asbestos awareness training for anyone who may encounter asbestos containing materials and industry specific qualifications for those involved with asbestos on a regular basis, both to be carried out by certified professionals.
