Posts Tagged ‘HSG 264’
Asbestos campaigners launch asbestos awareness survey in conjunction with UKAS
British asbestos campaigners have today launched a national survey exploring general awareness and understanding of asbestos in buildings and the regulations designed to protect UK workers from being exposed to asbestos in their workplace.
The survey can be taken here:
The Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011
The survey has been developed in conjunction with the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) the organisation that currently accredits over 100 asbestos inspection bodies to carry out asbestos surveys. Known as the Great British Asbestos in Buildings Survey 2011, the survey will be promoted across all industries via the UK’s leading trade associations and trade unions, membership organisations and industry institutions. Tradesmen, building occupiers, dutyholders, clients, FM’s, property managers of non-domestic buildings will be encouraged to take the survey.
According to the HSE, asbestos is responsible for an estimated 4000 deaths each year and is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Results are expected to give an insight into awareness of the Duty to Manage Asbestos and highlight areas for raising awareness of the risks of asbestos in the workplace.
The Survey has the backing of high profile asbestos campaigners across the UK. Annette Brooke MP and Chair of the Asbestos in Schools Group welcomed the survey:
“This survey is a welcome step in the right direction. It is so vital that we highlight the dangers surrounding asbestos and I hope that participation in this survey is as wide as possible. ”
John Richards, Managing Director of analytical and surveying firm, Thames Laboratories said:
“With recent public sector funding cuts and the Government’s review of Health and Safety, we are concerned that this important subject maybe overlooked. Currently in the UK, more people are dying from asbestos exposure than in road accidents and yet our approach to asbestos still ranges from apathy to paranoia.
Recent conflicting reports produced from ATAC and HSE, and the issues of low level asbestos exposure, have led to the development of this research project, aimed at establishing what is really happening”.
Jon Murthy, Marketing & Communications Manager at UKAS said:
“This is the first industry initiative of its kind in which UKAS has participated and we hope to see this repeated annually to measure what improvements are happening within the asbestos sector. UKAS will play its role by ensuring the questionnaire is circulated to as many individuals as possible, from all industry sectors, via Unions, Trade Associations, Industry Institutions and Membership Organisations”.
The survey results will be published in a report in the summer 2011 via the campaign website www.asbestosinspectionbodies.co.uk and should highlight the issues arising from the most comprehensive review of the subject to date.
Source: Asbestos Inspection Bodies
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Asbestos Surveys: Insurance implications of the introduction of HSG 264: The Survey Guide
Insurance for those undertaking any form of asbestos work has long been an issue as the insurance sector world wide are having to pay substantial sums of money to deal with claims from historic asbestos exposure. In the UK we have three types of insurance that are applicable to those who undertake asbestos inspection work.
The first Employers Liability cover (EL) is a legal requirement for all businesses and is designed to provide cover for employees in the event of accidents or exposure to materials such as asbestos. The levels of cover are generally prescribed and is typically £10,000,000 for each and every claim. This insurance is not capped and multiple claims can be made each having a maximum limit of £10,000,000. This is know as an ‘each and every claims basis’
The second type of insurance is known as Public Liability cover. As the name suggests this type of cover is in place to protect members of the public in the event of claims, for example a construction contractor dropping a hammer.
Many insurers who offer public liability cover include exclusions that mean asbestos related risks are not covered within the policy. So if the contractor disturbs asbestos within a shop for example, he would potentially be liable for any claim made by his employees, but not by any claim made by those working in the shop or indeed members of the public. Those working with asbestos as specialist contractors, asbestos surveyors and consultants have to “buy back” this cover at considerable cost. Typical levels of covers for asbestos specialists are £5,000,000 and again this is on an each and every claims basis.