Parliamentary report recommends full removal of asbestos

The Parliamentary Work and Pensions committee published a report on the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management. It marks the 10^th anniversary of the passing of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.  The report says:

“Asbestos-related illness is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times. Extensive use of asbestos in the twentieth century accounts for many thousands of deaths. The extreme exposures of the mid- to late twentieth century may be behind us, but its legacy lives on. Asbestos remains in many of our buildings.”

It recommends that a deadline is set for the removal of all asbestos from non-domestic buildings within 40 years, that is by 2062.  It ask the government and the HSE to establish a strategic plan to achieve this, and to prioritise the buildings with the highest risks, including schools.