TUC urges commitment to removing asbestos from workplaces

The UK needs a national plan to remove asbestos from all public and commercial buildings, the TUC has said, after an inquest found a former MP died of an industrial disease linked to asbestos exposure.

Former Labour MP Alice Mahon died on Christmas Day last year as a result of malignant mesothelioma, an inquest at Bradford Coroner’s Court has heard.

She had spent some time working as a nurse at Northowram Hospital in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, where she believed she had been exposed to asbestos.

She said corrugated asbestos sheets were used to construct auxiliary buildings, and maintenance staff would drill and cut into them while staff were working. This would create dust that was swept away using an ordinary brush, rather than specialist equipment.

Mahon had also complained that the Houses of Parliament were “riddled with asbestos”, the inquest heard.

On Wednesday 19 April, MPs debate the use of asbestos in workplaces and the TUC is calling for a national plan to safely remove it from public buildings.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Everyone should be safe at work. But thousands of people die every year from industrial diseases caused by asbestos exposure.

“Asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country, putting hundreds of thousands of workers at risk of exposure every day. The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from every workplace and public building. Ministers must commit to removing all asbestos to keep future generations safe.”

A report by law firm Irwin Mitchell has estimated that 87,000 public buildings in the UK still contain asbestos.

Freedom of Information requests revealed that 4,533 public buildings across 20 councils contain asbestos. Schools are the largest category of buildings affected, making up almost a quarter of the total number.

Asbestos is also largely present in community centres, agricultural and park buildings, office spaces, libraries, leisure facilities and residential settings, the law firm found.

Adrian Budgen, partner at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Most people associate asbestos with historical exposure in factories or construction work, but these latest figures highlight the extensive risk still posed by the deadly substance across the UK in everyday buildings used by the public.

“One of the main problem areas is revealed to be schools, which are obviously densely populated with pupils, teachers and other school workers for long hours at a time. It’s extremely worrying that so many still contain asbestos, essentially putting children at risk every day.

“Whilst some of the asbestos may not yet be deemed harmful, once it’s disturbed or in a state of disrepair it can quickly become very dangerous, and with many of our public buildings being old and maintenance budgets being stretched, it’s a huge concern.”

In April 2022, MPs recommended a 40-year deadline be set for the removal of asbestos from public and commercial buildings. However, the report from the Work and Pensions Committee was rejected by the government.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, asbestos is the biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK, with around 4,500 deaths recorded each year.