Archive

Asbestos Kills 4,500 British Workers Each Year

May 1, 2001

By 2020, it is estimated that asbestos will be responsible for more than 10,000 deaths in the UK a year, according to country's Trade Union Council.

EHS Today Staff

Every year in the UK some 4,500 people die from asbestos-related diseases, and by 2020, it is estimated that the substance will be responsible for more than 10,000 deaths a year, according to UK''s Trade Union Council (TUC).

TUC released its report "Mapping the Misery of Asbestos," on Saturday to coincide with International Workers'' Memorial Day.

According to the report, one person has died every day in London over the last four years as a result of working with asbestos -- a death toll of 1,800 since 1997.

"These sad statistics are a legacy of our industrial past. The tragedy is that many more people who were exposed years ago will die whatever we do now, so for them our priority must be to get them the compensation they are entitled to," said TUC Regional Secretary Mick Connolly. "No one should think that asbestos is yesterday''s problem -- there are still millions of tons of this fatal fiber in cement sheets, lagging for pipes and boilers, brake linings and other products."

According to the report, the highest death rates were in regions where shipbuilding, manufacturing, railway engineering and the docks predominate.

Workers in construction, engineering and shipbuilding are also at high risk.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fiber often used as a fire retardant. It has known health effects including the rare cancer mesothelioma as well as lung and other cancers.

In its report, TUC calls for a global ban on asbestos and a public register of the asbestos in buildings.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.