Key support in the battle to beat asbestos

North Lanarkshire Council is supporting the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) campaign by making information and help available to local trades.

A free web app for smart phones and asbestos safety kits are being distributed to trades such as joiners, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, painters and decorators, builders, heating engineers, roofers and caretakers.

Free safety kits are available through B&Q TradePoint stores, and the council’s team will carry out advisory visits to tradespeople.

Asbestos was widely used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980’s. and any building built before 2000 can contain asbestos.

For more information and to download the free app, go to www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos.

“Asbestos can be found in ceilings, floors, boilers, bathrooms and other locations within both residential and industrial buildings, so trades people could come into contact with the substance on a regular basis,” said environmental services convener Councillor Helen McKenna.

“If disturbed and breathed in, asbestos fibres can cause lung disease and cancer. The HSE estimate that an average of 20 trades people die of asbestos related diseases every week, so it’s vital that anyone who may come into contact with asbestos knows how to work with it correctly and safely.”