Government urged to make asbestos training mandatory

Asbestos experts have urged the Department for Education to add mandatory asbestos training to the college and apprenticeship curriculum.

The call for action comes in light of a new study which has revealed a lack of understanding of the risks of asbestos among tradespeople.

The research, conducted by training provider High Speed Training, found that the majority of tradespeople (53%) had a negative perception of the asbestos training that they received.

One in five (20%) felt the training was not authoritative, while 19% thought the training was outdated, and 11% claimed it felt like a tick box exercise. Furthermore, one in 10 (11%) have never received any form of asbestos training. 

Tradespeople were also found to be supportive of increased training, with 70% agreeing that asbestos awareness training should be a mandatory component of the college or apprenticeship curriculum, while 74% said there should be increased awareness of the dangers of asbestos in the industry about the potential impact on families, colleagues, customers, and the general public. 

The findings have been released ahead of the 25^th anniversary (24 November) of the UK’s ban on all forms of asbestos. 

Despite the ban, asbestos remains a significant issue, with around 5,000 people per year in the UK dying from asbestos-related conditions, according to HSE data.

In an open letter to the Department for Education, asbestos authorities and charities have called for asbestos training to be incorporated into the curriculums of trades courses at college, as well as apprenticeships. 

The requests include: 

Dr Richard Anderson, head of learning and development at High Speed Training, said: “A quarter of a century after all forms of asbestos were banned in the UK, and 100 years since the first recorded death, asbestos remains a deadly problem that shows no signs of being solved. 

“As older buildings built using asbestos deteriorate and are demolished, exposure to asbestos will only continue to become more of a problem for tradespeople, their families, and the general public.” 

Anderson added that it is vital future generations are properly equipped with the knowledge to protect themselves and others from the dangers of asbestos.

 “We call upon the government to expand the training requirements around asbestos for those seeking to enter the trades, helping to reduce exposure to asbestos, and prevent further increases to deadly conditions such as Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, that already claim upwards of 5,000 UK lives per year,” he said. 

“This is a public interest issue, and a problem that will not be solved by choosing to ignore it. Action must be taken to save lives.”

Find out more about the campaign here.