Dangerous Asbestos Exposure Claims

Dangerous Asbestos Exposure Claims

Not much credit for contractors in Crediton The news that a group of residents in Crediton may unwittingly have been exposed to one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos is extremely worrying and must strike fear into the hearts of council tenants across the UK. It’s shocking to hear that one of the residents had to take it upon himself to make enquiries of asbestos managers before the alleged incident came to light. Housing managers from Mid Devon District Council must launch an urgent and thorough enquiry leaving no stone unturned in their investigations to find out why their contractors “may not have fully complied with regulations.” We must continue to get the message out there that asbestos is dangerous and there’s no excuse for failing to ensure employees have the proper training when coming into contact with it. Cases are constantly coming through where non-licensed and untrained contractors are dealing with a highly-dangerous material like asbestos. There are many dedicated and highly-skilled contractors in this country who are experts at removing asbestos safely and so it’s deeply disturbing to keep hearing in this day and age that there are still companies who choose to put people’s lives at risk, by not taking advantage of the expertise so readily available. Despite severe warnings and the threat of hefty fines, and even jail terms, organisations continue to ignore the severe consequences of exposing their employees and the public to asbestos. Unsafe handling of asbestos, when you aren’t trained to do so, puts lives at risk.

Yours faithfully

Craig Evans,
General Manager,
UKATA (The UK Asbestos Training Association)

ENDS

Photograph and caption: Craig Evans, General Manager, UKATA
Media contact: Jon Gardner BeyondPR Mobile: 07930 697 773 DDI: 0114 275 6996
Source for story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-28632393