Blog Archives

September 2003

Yorkshire Post Report on Asbestos Victims

A recent report in the Yorkshire Post makes some shocking revelations about people who have contracted mesothelioma. The Yorkshire Post report pulls together information from the HSE and the Trades Union Congress and claims 'to come just months after a Yorkshire Post investigation revealed fears over a new wave of victims, people who have had no direct or obvious contact with asbestos, but have still developed the disease because the now-banned fibre was so widely used'.

According to the Yorkshire Post, a Health and Safety Executive report reveals teachers, doctors, ambulance workers, farmers, and lawyers have all contracted mesothelioma as well as people employed in the traditional "at risk" occupations like shipbuilding and railway engineering. The rising toll from mesothelioma - almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure - includes a total of 114 teachers. Between 1980 and 1985, 15 teachers died from the disease - 11 men and four women - but between 1996 and 2000 this increased to 43.

Please see the source material on the Yorkshire Post Today website.

Source: Yorkshire Post

September 29, 2003 | Permalink | Comment

Health and Safety Commission go-ahead for revision of CDM & CHSW

I thought that you would like to know that HSC have agreed that we should proceed with the revision of the CDM and CHSW regs. The ambitious aim is to publish a consultative document next Spring. As far as possible I want to move forward by consensus, involving as many interested parties as possible.

The high level objectives for the revision, agreed with CONIAC and endorsed by HSC, are to improve the management of risk by:

  1. simplifying the regulations to improve clarity and so making it easier for dutyholders to know what is expected of them;
  2. maximising their flexibility to fit with the vast range of contractual arrangements;
  3. making their focus planning and management, rather than the plan and other paperwork, to emphasise active management and minimise bureaucracy;
  4. strengthening the requirements regarding co-ordination and co-operation, particularly between designers and contractors to encourage more integration;
  5. simplifying the assessment of the competence of organisations.

If we are to make an impact and avoid the problems that have dogged CDM then the way we proceed is at least as important as the final product. I want all interested parties to feel involved and to have a real opportunity to influence the outcome. I should, therefore, appreciate it if you would use your contacts to identify opportunities for either informal discussions or presentations to meetings. I also hope to establish an internet discussion forum where we can post drafts and people can comment on them or put forward their own ideas.

Stephen Wright
HSE Construction Policy
Tel. 020 7717 6308

Source: Stephen Wright, HSE

September 16, 2003 | Permalink | Comment

HSE Questionnaire

Control of Asbestos at Work Regulation 4
Duty to Manage Asbestos

The HSE is seeking the views of duty holders on progress of the new duty as part of HSE's one-year review of the operation of the new duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises.

As you may be aware the Government gave a commitment during the House of Lords debate in December 2002 to review the new duty by the end of this year, though it does not become law until 21 May 2004.

HSE has therefore prepared a short questionnaire (it will take less than 15 minutes to complete) for those who are duty holders. It is split into three main sections - awareness of asbestos, action taken or planned to identify and manage asbestos and any barriers to compliance.

As you will see from the form, they are mainly just tick box questions so that they take as little time as possible to answer.

We would want to keep the burden on duty holders as low as possible and there are various options to ensure this happens.

Fill In On Line
The questionnaire can simply be completed on HSE's website, at http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/asbestos/questionnaire.htm.

All completed questionnaires will need to be with HSE by 31 October 2003.

The results of the questionnaire will be used for the one-year review they will not be attributed to a particular organisation.

Please feel free to ring me to discuss any aspect of the review. Thanking you in advance for your contributions.

Owen Yorath
Asbestos Policy Adviser
020 7717 6809

Source: Owen Yorath, HSE

September 10, 2003 | Permalink | 1 Comment