Free asbestos awareness training near you
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in partnership with the training industry, is calling for a pledge of 4000 hours of free asbestos awareness training, with the target of 4000 reflecting the approximate number of deaths each year in Britain from asbestos-related diseases.
The aim of the initiative is to help tradesmen across Britain protect themselves from the deadly dust.
Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP) and the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) are working with the HSE by inviting their member training companies to pledge free training hours.
Members of the Asbestos Safety Health Environmental e-Learning Association (ASHEeLA) are also being invited to provide free online training courses.
It is hoped that 4000 face-to-face training hours and an additional 4000 hours of online training will be offered up by various providers. The free training will be available throughout October and November and is aimed at tradesmen such as joiners, electricians and plumbers who are most likely to disturb the fibres as they go about their work.
The HSE says around 20 such tradesmen a week lose their lives due to asbestos-related diseases. Across Britain, more than 40,000 people have died from the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma since the late 1960s, and the numbers dying are increasing. Latest annual figures show that 2249 people died from the disease in 2008 alone, up over 3% on the previous year.
Karen Clayton, HSE's Director for long latency health risks, said, "This new initiative ... is all about tradesmen finding out exactly what they need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training. There is sadly little we can do to help those who are already suffering the often fatal effects of asbestos exposure in the workplace, but we can prevent this hidden killer claiming another generation."
Further information is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/training-pledge/index.htm
Course available in the Midlands can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/training-pledge/midlands.htm
Source: Croner
Posted Date: 15th Sep 2011