Page 6 - A National Asbestos Strategy

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous
mineral that poses serious health risks despite
its widespread use. Exposure to asbestos
fibres can lead to the development of incurable
conditions, most notably mesothelioma and
various asbestos-related cancers.
While many people recognise the term
‘asbestos’, fewer understand that it refers to a
group of naturally occurring fibres. Historically,
asbestos was used in a wide range of products,
leading to varying levels of risk depending on
the type of material and its application.
Asbestos use in the UK dates back to the
Victorian era. Although the first documented
asbestos-related death occurred over a
century ago, the UK government did not ban
asbestos entirely until 1999.
Today, asbestos exposure causes over 5,000
deaths annually, accounting for 40% of the
UK’s occupational cancer cases.
2 The UK
has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma
deaths in the world, with evidence suggesting
that the number of asbestos-related deaths
in the UK may be far higher than indicated by
government modelling.3
These deaths are estimated to cost society around £1.2 billion annually, amounting
to £24 billion over the last 20 years — a figure more significant than the ‘economic
black hole’ the government is currently facing.4
Growing evidence suggests that these death figures could be even higher. An increasing
proportion of asbestos-related deaths now occurs among females and younger
individuals, often due to non-occupational asbestos exposure.
This report encourages discussion on the importance of two rejected recommendations from
the 2022 Department for Work and Pensions inquiry into the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE)
management of asbestos. These recommendations involve creating a national database for
asbestos-containing materials and formulating a strategy for future asbestos removal. It is essential
to understand that these two issues are interconnected; a comprehensive strategy will determine
the data that needs to be collected, and in turn, the data collection and analysis will inform the
strategy’s development.
2 Eurostat, ‘Mesothelioma Accounted for 2% of All Cancers in the EU’, Eurostat News, 26 September 2024,
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/edn-20240926-1
3 Furuya, Sugio, et al. “Global Asbestos Disaster.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 15, no. 5, 2018, p. 1000,
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15051000
4 Mesothelioma UK. Clearing the Air: The Costs and Benefits of Removing Asbestos from UK Schools and Hospitals. Mesothelioma UK, n.d.,
www.mesothelioma.uk.com/clearing-the-air/
www.asbestosinformation.org.uk
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