Nearly 80 per cent of UK electricians have encountered asbestos
Posted: Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
New research has found that 41 per cent of electricians in the UK have had indicators of an asbestos-related disease, or know a colleague who has, according to ElectricalTimes. The study by ElectricalDirect released ahead of Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1-7 April), to bring more attention to the dangers of asbestos, shows that 30 per cent of electricians are exposed to asbestos every single week. It also found that 78 per cent of electricians have come across asbestos in their working lives, with 41 per cent suffering from an asbestos-related disease, or aware of someone who has. Tradespeople are among the most at-risk labour of asbestos-related diseases, and across all industries, the majority are exposed to the potentially lethal material on a regular basis. Three in five (60 per cent) find it every year, over a third (35 per cent) say every month, and one in 12 (8 per cent) come face to face with asbestos every day. One in 20 knows someone who has died of such an illness, and every week, 20 electricians’ deaths are attributed to asbestos. The study also found that other trades were also exposed to asbestos. Nearly every carpenter (95 per cent) surveyed had some history with asbestos, and bricklayers (88 per cent) are a close second. Dominick Sandford, managing director at ElectricalDirect, said: “Despite being banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos is still a real issue in the industry, and it’s awful that so many tradespeople die from related diseases every year.”
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