British Lung Foundation warns of a lack of domestic asbestos awareness
The British Lung Foundation has spoken out against a present lack of awareness of possible asbestos in the home, after it undertook a survey in which more than two thirds (67%) of respondents were found to be unable to identify asbestos around the house, asbestos removal experts Senergi (http://www.senergi.co.uk) report.
The survey of more than 2000 British residents found that three quarters (75%) of 25-34 year olds of both sexes were unable to confidently identify asbestos in the home. There was an especially low awareness of the process of domestic asbestos abatement among women, however, of whom some 77% admitted to not knowing how to spot asbestos around their homes.
Asbestos fibres are capable of causing various illnesses in the event of being disturbed or inhaled, such as the terminal chest cancer, mesothelioma. Despite this, it took until as recently as 1999 for the use of asbestos in buildings to be totally banned. Asbestos-related illnesses cause twice as many deaths as road accidents each year in Britain.
This news of the increasing importance of adequate asbestos analysis comes as the British Lung Foundation launches its major campaign ‘Take 5 And Stay Alive’, which has the aim of boosting levels of awareness of asbestos among those that might be interested in undertaking DIY in their homes.
In response to the findings, the British Lung Foundation’s Chief Executive, Dame Helena Shovelton, commented that it was a common misconception that “asbestos is a hazard you would only encounter while working in fields like heavy industry and construction.” She added that with asbestos actually being present in many of the UK’s homes, the survey results indicated that there could be “far too many people” unwittingly exposing themselves to it.
Shovelton went on to urge those that were considering a spot of domestic DIY “to stop and take five minutes and assess whether their home may contain asbestos, and then ensure they know where the danger may be and how to deal with it safely.”
Those with an interest in ‘Take 5 And Stay Alive’ can find out more by visiting the campaign’s dedicated website at www.take5andstayalive.com, while Senergi (http://www.senergi.co.uk) is on hand to provide the highest standard of asbestos awareness training.
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