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Plans by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to take asbestos textured coatings outside of the stringent licensing requirements demanded for most other asbestos work clearly pose dangers for workers and the Unions are not at all happy. The HSE claims: New research on asbestos confirms that risks from asbestos containing textured coatings (TCs) are much lower than previously thought. The new research published today supports the proposal that work with textured coatings will no longer require a licence. The Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) draft amendments to asbestos regulations, which have recently been the subject of consultation, aim to tighten overall controls. The proposed changes include a lower single control limit of 0.1 fibres per cm 3 for work with all types of asbestos. Textured coatings contain only small amounts of asbestos and this is bound in a matrix that does not readily release asbestos fibres when removed. In response to early comments received during consultation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commissioned the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to carry out further research into work with TCs. Kevin Walkin, Head of Asbestos Policy at HSE, said: "The research shows that the risk from asbestos-containing textured coatings is comparable to the risks from work with asbestos cement, which does not require a licence. "We're not saying this work is no-risk - it still needs to be carried out by trained workers using appropriate controls. Licensing is an additional check on high-risk work and should reflect changing knowledge about risks to remain credible." Alan Ritchie, UCATT General Secretary said: 'Despite the Duty to Manage Regulations being in place for nearly two years now there are still many instances of workers being exposed to asbestos when carrying out maintenance and repair work. If there are no licensing controls for removal of textured decorative coatings then these exposures are likely to increase, condemning another generation of workers to an early death and ill health from asbestos related diseases.' Responding to the statement from Kevin Walkin, Head of Asbestos Policy at HSE, admitting that there is still risk involved, he added: 'HSE need to recognise the reality that for very many building and maintenance workers, their employers will not put in place the appropriate controls and that deregulating an activity that has previously been licensed will send out the wrong message about the dangers of asbestos to workers and the occupants of buildings who will be at risk from these deadly fibres.' Source: HSE, UCATT |
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