{"id":40221,"date":"2018-04-09T11:16:23","date_gmt":"2018-04-09T10:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=40221"},"modified":"2018-04-09T11:16:23","modified_gmt":"2018-04-09T10:16:23","slug":"survey-reveals-uncertainty-and-ignorance-over-exposure-to-asbestos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/health-safety-news\/survey-reveals-uncertainty-and-ignorance-over-exposure-to-asbestos\/40221\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey reveals \u201cuncertainty and ignorance\u201d over exposure to asbestos"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to research nearly one in four UK construction workers believe they may have been exposed to asbestos fibres, placing them at higher risk of contracting terminal cancers later in life<\/h2>\n

With potentially half a million buildings containing asbestos fibres, workers across many industries risk being exposed every day \u2013 continuing the trend of Britons having the world\u2019s highest chance of dying from mesothelioma, the deadliest form of cancer.<\/p>\n

As the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)<\/a> launches its campaign to tackle asbestos exposure in the world\u2019s workplaces, it has revealed the findings of a survey it commissioned to find out how much construction workers know about this hazard.<\/p>\n

While the majority are familiar about the risks posed, a third of survey respondents have never checked the asbestos register before starting work on a new site \u2013 with nearly half of those not even knowing there is a register. Almost one in five respondents said if they discovered asbestos they wouldn\u2019t be clear about what to do.<\/p>\n

Leading scientists and safety and health experts have expressed concern about the findings. Along with IOSH, they are calling on employers across all sectors to ensure they do not expose employees.<\/p>\n

Dr Lesley Rushton, the new Chair of the UK\u2019s Industrial Injuries Advisory Council<\/a> and a leading expert on workplace carcinogens, said: \u201cWhat these new survey results confirm is that, while people have heard of asbestos and know what the effects of being exposed to it are, they\u2019re not sure how to check if it\u2019s present and they may not know what to do if they find asbestos.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncertainty and ignorance surrounding how to prevent workers from breathing in the fibres is deeply worrying.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is particularly the case among small companies, sole traders and older workers. It is crucial that we reach them, to inform them of the risks and how these can be managed, to ensure their future health is not compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahead of the launch of the fourth phase of its \u2018No Time to Lose\u2019<\/em> occupational cancer campaign, IOSH commissioned Opinium to survey 500 construction workers to understand the scale of the issue.<\/p>\n

Key findings include:<\/h3>\n