The number of women with asbestos related diseases is growing

After asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 it was assumed that the number of people with an asbestos related disease would reach a peak and then start to decline. This still isn’t happening. One reason is that asbestos related diseases mostly affect older people. Life expectancy has increased by six years since 1990.…

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The risks from asbestos in schools

At the beginning of this school term the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began a series of inspections to see how schools are managing the risks from asbestos. Why the HSE has begun inspecting schools for asbestos exposure In July 2022 the HSE had acknowledged for the first time that people who work in schools…

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Six clues to knowing if your school contains asbestos

The Spanish website elEconomista.es has published a list of six simple clues to knowing if your school, or your children’s or grandchildren’s school, contains asbestos. It seemed such a good idea that we thought we would adapt it to our situation in England and Wales. The six clues Was the school built between 1950 and…

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My wife, Lyn, was exposed to asbestos in school

On Action Meso Day, Roy from Worcestershire shares the story of his wife Lyn, who worked in a school laboratory for 19 years, where she was exposed to asbestos. He makes a powerful plea for ZeroAsbestos in schools. A report published today by JUAC, the Join Union Asbestos Committee, suggests that asbestos in schools is…

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Join us on Action Mesothelioma Day

ACTION MESOTHELIOMA DAY is a joint awareness raising event each year sponsored by Asbestos Support Groups, including the members of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum, Medical Charities and other charities established by mesothelioma patients.   There will be a short regional event on Zoom at 11 o’clock on Friday 2 July. The link is “ASCE’s…

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Asbestos is still present in 83% of schools!

Twenty years after asbestos was banned, the Department for Education estimates that it is still present in more than 83% of England’s schools. It isn’t just present in small amounts. The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) estimates there are hundreds of tonnes of asbestos contained in schools and other public buildings. Children are especially vulnerable…

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