UKATA urges employers to provide apprentices with asbestos awareness training

UKATA, a leading authority for asbestos training, is urging construction employers to ensure asbestos awareness training is provided to all apprentices

Apprentice electricians, plumbers, carpenters, joiners, heating and ventilation engineers, painters and decorators are just some of the 1.3 million tradespeople that are at risk from exposure to asbestos. 

Younger people routinely exposed to asbestos fibres are at greater risk of developing deadly asbestos related diseases, such as cancer, compared to their older colleagues.

However, a 2017 survey conducted of 500 tradespeople, by the HSE, revealed that less than a third were aware of the correct ways to deal with and handle asbestos in the workplace.

UKATA is urging employers to provide apprentices with key information about asbestos at an early stage to enable them to challenge poor work practices and protect themselves from the dangers of asbestos.

‘Conduct asbestos awareness training as soon as possible’

Craig Evans, chief operating officer of the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA), urged: “With the death toll from asbestos exposure over 5000 per year, UKATA is calling on all employers of apprentices working in trades, to ensure asbestos awareness training is conducted as soon as possible.

“It’s never too early to provide asbestos awareness training to your workforce. The statistics show that the earlier in a person’s career they receive the appropriate training, then the better protected they are against developing asbestos related cancers in later life.

“A half day awareness course could prevent them from contracting a deadly disease and also ensure they don’t expose others to the dangers of asbestos.

“Asbestos awareness training is low cost and readily available. I urge all employers to book their apprentices on these half-day courses and provide them with a safe foundation for a long and safe career within the construction industry.”

Abestos dangers

• Asbestos kills around 20 tradespeople in the UK every week, making it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths. 
• Electricians are almost 16 times more likely than the general population to develop the killer lung disease mesothelioma in their lifetime. (Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in the British population: a case-control study.)
• Asbestos exposure kills 4 plumbers every week (Health & Safety Executive)
• The UK has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world and the risk is highest in people who were exposed to asbestos before age 30. (Institute of Cancer Research)