Asbestos Hidden Killer

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Asbestos Hidden Killer
Sarah Brown
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Presentation overview

• Asbestos the scale of the problem
• Summary of campaign activity 2008
• Campaign activity 2009
• A case study

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Asbestos is still a problem

• Why is reduction of ill-health arising from
  exposure to asbestos important?
• Asbestos is the most serious work-related health
  problem in UK
• Around 4,000 deaths last year from asbestos
  related diseases (mesothelioma, lung cancer,
  asbestosis)

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Asbestos is still a problem

• The number of deaths from workers in
  traditional industries such as shipbuilding,
  asbestos product manufacturing, metal plate
  workers etc. has reached a plateau
• The numbers of deaths in trades such as plumbers,
  heating ventilation engineers, joiners
  electricians continue to rise

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Why the need for an asbestos campaign?

• Around 500,000 non-domestic buildings still
  contain asbestos
• Any building built or refurbished before 2000
  could contain asbestos
• This means that building repair and maintenance
  tradesmen (e.g. plumbers, electricians,
  carpenters) are still at risk of exposure as they
  still undertake the same sort of work (drilling,
  cutting etc)
• 1000 (25) of the 4000 now dying each year were
  such tradesmen

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Where would I find it?
Asbestos fire blanket
AIB Ceiling tiles
Asbestos insulating board (AIB)
Asbestos rope insulating a pipe
Asbestos cement roof
Asbestos containing vinyl floor tiles
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Asbestos insulating board (AIB) around windows
Asbestos boiler insulation
Soffit board
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Who are the people at risk?

• Plasterers
• Gas fitters
• Cable layers
• Demolition workers
• Painters and decorators
• Fire and burglar alarm installers

• Carpenters and joiners
• Heating and ventilation engineers
• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Roofing contractors
• Maintenance staff

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Asbestos Campaign Research

• HSE carried out research into attitudes of
  tradesmen of the risks they ran when working with
  asbestos
• This found that they
• Did not consider asbestos to be relevant or
  immediate to them as individuals
• Were not aware that asbestos might be present in
  buildings where they worked

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Asbestos Campaign 2008

• After a pilot in the NW in Feb/March
• National media campaign rolled out in October
• Radio as the lead media
• Hard-hitting messages re number of deaths every
  week

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Regional PR

• 54 radio pieces
• 102 print pieces

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Asbestos Campaign 2008

• 8 out of 10 people polled had seen or heard some
  publicity about the risk of asbestos
• 43 of those had received a mailshot or direct
  mail on the campaign
• 80 of 18-34yr olds had seen either press or
  radio adverts
• 71 of those who recognised the campaign have
  either taken, or plan to take, more safety
  precautions to avoid exposure to asbestos
  following the campaign

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Future Campaign activity

• Maintaining the momentum of Hidden Killer
• Working with key duty to manage stakeholders
• Working with suppliers
• Vocational training

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Hidden Killer 2009

• Campaign launches 26 Oct 2009
• Runs for at least 4 weeks
• Radio lead media
• PR nation-wide
• Refreshed material
• Refreshed website

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Hidden Killer 2009

• Revised campaign statistics
• Every week around 8 joiners die from this hidden
  killer
• Every week around 6 electricians die from this
  hidden killer
• Every week around 4 plumbers die from this hidden
  killer
• An estimated 4000 die every year from asbestos,
  that's more than are killed on the roads!

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Partner Organisations

• TUC Trade Unions (eg. Unite, GMB, UCATT)
• Local Authorities
• Trade Associations (eg. ECA, IPHEE)
• Stores and Hire shops (eg. Wolseley group,
  Jewsons, Screwfix, BQ)
• Large employers (Centrica)
• Charities (British Lung Foundation)
• Asbestos Victim Support Groups

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Website

• This is the homepage for the campaign microsite

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Website What does it hide?
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Website Asbestovision!
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Website myth buster!

• There are five questions testing basic knowledge

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Case-studies

• Case studies publicised (via press/radio
  interviews) the experiences of victims of
  asbestos related disease to
• Illustrate terrible consequences on peoples
  lives resulting from exposure to asbestos and
• Give weight to messages about the risks of
  working with asbestos and the need for tradesmen
  to protect themselves.

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Case-study Robert Kirk

• Story told by Julie Kirk
• Heating Engineer
• Stripping lagged pipes
• Fit and healthy man
• You have to look afteryourself. If you are not
  sure about something you must ask and seek advice

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• Robert Kirk died in 1997, aged 39

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Further information

• HSEs asbestos web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/hiddenk
  iller
• Asbestos essentials gives guidance on
  non-licensed work download it from the asbestos
  web pages at www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
• Full details of the Control of Asbestos
  Regulations 2006 are available on
  www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/regulations.htm
• HSEs Infoline Tel [phone] Textphone 0845
  408 9577 e-mail hse.infoline_at_natbrit.com