Asbestos was once described as a ‘miracle mineral’ because of its fire resistance and insulating properties and was widely used in the construction of schools between the 1950’s and 1970’s. It is estimated that Asbestos is present in 90% of Britain’s 25,000 schools and any one working at the school – teachers, office, maintenance and catering staff, classroom assistants and nursery nurses as well as pupils is at risk of being exposed to the fibres.
Asbestos dust is responsible for more deaths than any other work-related cause.
Nearly 4,000 people annually are dying as a result of exposure to asbestos fibres. In the next 30 years, it is estimated that round 200,000 people in the UK will die from asbestos related diseases.
They will die because earlier in their lives, they breathed asbestos fibres into their lungs. Some will die from asbestosis, an increasing number from lung cancer and a large number from mesothelioma, a specific cancer of the lung or stomach lining.
To register your exposure please print out and complete this online form * and return it to your Union. The GMB will register your exposure and their solicitors, Simpsons, will then check whether you can claim compensation for personal injury at this time. ( * - you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader to view this form. You can download it here.)
You should also contact your GP to record your exposure in your medical records. Your GP may also refer you for a chest x-ray.
If your doctor tells you that you have Mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer, Asbestosis or Pleural Thickening you should contact your Union and seek legal advice. Your Union’s legal assistance scheme covers both you and your family and your Union will refer you to their solicitors, Simpsons.
- Ensuring the Health & Safety Executive introduce a duty on building owners to manage asbestos in buildings
- Lobbying the government to establish a National Asbestos Register to identify where asbestos is located in the UK
- Promoting campaigns and materials to raise awareness of the dangers of breathing in asbestos fibres
- Participating in the Health & Safety Executive’s Asbestos Liaison Forum, which considers all preventative measures for licensed asbestos insulation work
- Continuing to lobby the Health & Safety Executive to support the development of the:
- most effective dust suppression methods; and
- most effective respiratory protection for those involved in licensed asbestos work
- Lobbying the European Commission:
- to improve worker protection, training and awareness of asbestos across all Member States
- to improves the enforcement of asbestos laws across all Member States
Campaigning for a worldwide ban on asbestos with other organisations, such as the International Ban Asbestos Network
Networking with other organisations involved with asbestos, to promote preventative measures and lobby for adequate compensation for victims and their families
- Lobbying the Government to investigate the whole insurance industry in the UK to ensure they will fully meet their future liabilities in relation to asbestos compensation claims
- Lobbying the UK Government to support research into finding a cure for mesothelioma
- Promoting any measure which will help prevent exposure to asbestos fibres and revise our initiative at any time in line with future developments
- Published a leaflet and poster raising awareness of the hazards of asbestos
- Published 4 guides on preventing exposure to asbestos
- Produced a video where asbestos can be commonly found in buildings
- Organised several public conferences in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Perth and Nottingham to offer advice on dealing with asbestos and raise awareness of the dangers associated with exposure to the fibres
- Organised many seminars in different parts of the UK
- Held workplace action weeks on asbestos
- Supported HSE initiatives on raising awareness of asbestos issues
- Been represented on a HSE Working Group reviewing Asbestos Regulation in the UK
- Promoted the GMB Campaigning at major health and safety exhibitions annually since 1996
- Put the case for a ban on white asbestos to the European Commission directly
- Presented campaign information to a group of industrialists, European Members of Parliament and European Commission staff at a Seminar in Brussels
- Repeated our call for a ban on white asbestos at a key European health and safety conference in Bilbao, Spain in September 1997
- Presented the case for a can at the Council of Europe Social Committee in November 1997 - the GMB were present at the full plenary of the Council, in April 1988 when the Council adopted a Report recommending a ban on all forms of asbestos across its 40 Member States
- Lobbied both Parliament and the European Commission about implementing a European wide ban on asbestos products. This assisted in the UK banning white asbestos in 1999 and the European Union implementing a ban from 2005 across all Member States
- Gave a presentation at the Global Asbestos Conference in Osasco, Brazil in September 2000 and drafted the statement from the trade unions
- Joined with the Health & Safety Executive on a Working Group supported by the European Commission to develop practical guidelines for training asbestos removal workers across all Member States.
- Joined the UK delegation in 2000 to the Senior Liaison Committee analysing the enforcement of asbestos controls in Sweden, Spain, the UK and France and
- Contacted every Head of Government in the World asking for their support in banning asbestos World Wide in April 2001
The GMB has about 25,000 workplace based Safety Representatives in a wide range of
occupations, covering both public and private employers. They are supported by the most extensively resourced training and information services of any UK trade union - all directed to prevent accidents and ill health at work.
The following is reprinted from the Government’s Revitalising Health & Safety Strategy Document:
‘Workplaces with trade union safety representatives and joint health and safety committees have significantly better accident records - over 50% fewer injuries - than those with no consultation mechanism.’
If you want the protection of the GMB around you to make your workplace safer, contact the GMB here.
If you are not a member,
The GMB has produced a number of materials on asbestos, including a video identifying where asbestos is commonly found in buildings.
For current details of our materials contact: Alf Jones or
Ken Lowe
Columbus Quay,
Riverside Drive,
Liverpool,
L3 4GB
0151 727 0077
